Head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey flopped fairly hard in their first year as lead decision makers for the New York Jets.
Mougey’s roster construction raised questions in training camp, which bled into obvious holes in the regular season.
Glenn’s in-game decision-making and other coaching mishaps have not created a lot of confidence amongst fans as he heads into his second year on the job.
But one of the first choices the tandem made, selecting Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou seventh overall in last April’s draft, was arguably the best move they made in their first season with the Jets.
The rookie tackle proved himself week after week in his first season in the pros, but it seems the national media is unaware just how good the rookie already is.
Jets Bypass Armand Membou in 2025 Re-Draft
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski re-drafted the entire 2025 NFL Draft now that the regular season has come to a close, and for the New York Jets, he has them skipping their franchise right tackle for edge rusher Abdul Carter at No.7 overall.
“Obviously, Justin Fields didn’t work out at quarterback, though there’s not a solid alternative available. Instead, Gang Green turns its attention to a disappointing defense that ranked among the league’s bottom eight under the direction of head coach Aaron Glenn. Keep in mind, the Jets finished third overall in total defense a season earlier,” wrote Sobleski.
“Now, New York invests in the class’ top defensive prospect. Carter led all rookies in pressures by a significant margin. While his consistent pressure didn’t result in as many sacks as expected (only four), his explosiveness and presence were obvious. Conversely, the Jets finished next-to-last with 26 total sacks and Will McDonald IV was the only one to finish with more than four.”
Now, in fairness to Sobleski, New York’s edge rushers left a lot to be desired this season.
With two former first-round picks manning the defensive end spots, Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson, you would expect there to be an increased level of production.
But instead, as Sobleski pointed out, the Jets were 31st in total sacks this season, totaling just three more as a team than the Cleveland Browns’ Defensive Player of the Year favorite Myles Garrett did by himself in his record-breaking season.
Still, Membou’s value can’t be understated, and to slide as far as he did in this re-draft is disrespectful to the type of season he had.
Armand Membou Goes No. 16 in Re-Draft
In Sobleski’s reimagining of the 2025 NFL Draft, Membou slides all the way to No. 16, allowing the Arizona Cardinals to get a steal in the middle of the first round.
“Membou could have begun his professional career at guard. When Jonah Williams and Paris Johnson Jr. were placed on injured reserve, the rookie could have bumped out to offensive tackle, where he would likely stay for the rest of his career,” continued Sobleski.
“An offensive lineman is never a sexy pick, but it’s a foundational decision for an organization that requires a near-complete reset.”
But the problem is Membou is so much better than Sobleski gives him credit for.
Throughout his impressive rookie season, the real-life No. 7 overall pick boasted a 91.7% pass block win rate and a 79.6% run block win rate.
He was even named to ESPN analyst Ben Solak’s 2025 All-Rookie team.
“Membou occasionally gets beat clean or suffers a rookie mental lapse. But snap to snap, he has a solid floor and a high ceiling in pass protection due to his tremendous grip strength and the reach to catch and control speedy rushers,” wrote Solak.
“The Jets’ best runs and screens have often come to the offensive right on the back of Membou’s ability to uproot defensive linemen and carve out running lanes. He’s an impactful player.”
Membou was more than deserving of being the seventh player off the board last April, and despite the Jets’ desperate needs across the roster, he was and is still the best pick that Glenn and Mougey could’ve made in their first draft.
2025 NFL Re-Draft Proves Just How Underrated Jets’ Armand Membou Is