Aaron Glenn sings praises of Jets first-rounder Armand Membou
'He's mean, he's nasty, he's tough,' Glenn said Thursday night after the Jets took Membou with the No. 7 overall pick.
You'd never know it talking to Membou off the field. Membou arrived in Florham Park on Friday and was polite and cordial, nothing like the man who Jets fans will see on the field at right tackle.
'When I get on that field, I just flip the switch,' Membou said. 'No friends out there, so just get after everybody.'
3 Armand Membou looks on during their game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium on November 16, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina.
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We are in the early days of Glenn's tenure with the Jets and still learning exactly what the new coach will be looking for. If his first draft choice is any indication, he wants some nasty in his players.
'What we're trying to do on offense, he really fits what we're trying to do, so it was a no-brainer,' Glenn said. 'I mean, once the pick was there for us, man, it was like this is the guy.'
Membou came to football late. He began playing in eighth grade but was on the skinny side. He also played tennis, soccer, basketball and wrestled. Early in high school he could not make it on the varsity team. Then, in 2020 during the pandemic, Membou went to work on his body. He began to work out more and eat, and when he showed up for football practice that summer he had gone from 220 pounds to around 250. He also had shot up from 6-foot to 6-3.
'I feel like God, he just gave me like a new update or something,' Membou said.
3 Armand Membou of the Missouri Tigers poses for a portrait at the Indiana Convention Center on February 27, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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He became a dominant high school football player at Lee's Summit North in Missouri and soon was recruited to play at Missouri. He became a starter at right tackle for the Tigers midway through his freshman season and the NFL dream became realistic.
'I knew it was a real possibility after my freshman year when I first got on the field,' Membou said.
Membou would become a fixture at right tackle for Missouri through his sophomore and junior seasons. Many NFL teams did not see Membou as a lock to leave school early and enter this year's draft. But Membou began to believe he was ready for the NFL as his junior year progressed.
'For me, by the end of the season it was pretty easy because I was playing really well,' Membou said. 'And just also mentally, too, I'm confident in myself to know I was going to be fine.'
3 Head coach Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets speaks to the media during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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Membou was not on the radar of every NFL team because the scouting community was late to him as an early entry player.
'Yeah, after the season I was hearing like second-, third-round grades and I was kind of debating whether I should go back or not,' Membou said, 'but I was confident in my film from the season prior and just confident in myself. I'm definitely glad I made that decision to come out.'
Then, Membou put on a display at the NFL Scouting Combine that included a 4.91 40-yard dash — a stunning time for a 6-4, 332-pound player. Suddenly, Membou was in the discussion as the best offensive lineman in this draft and a possible top-10 pick.
'I feel like once people saw the athleticism I showed at the combine, they probably took that second look at the film and was like, 'Woah, like he is that athletic,' ' Membou said.
The Jets see Membou as a plug-and-play right tackle who can complete a strong offensive line. Membou can bring his nasty streak to the Jets as well as his physical skills.
'I'd just say I'm very explosive,' Membou said of his strengths. 'I create a lot of good movement in the run game, and I'm very consistent in pass pro. I wouldn't really say nothing for weaknesses right now, I'm just trying to improve my overall game once I get here.'
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