Armand Membou's historic NFL debut gives Jets long-term hope

The New York Jets have spent years throwing draft capital at their offensive line. Now, in 2025, general manager Darren Mougey’s first-round pick, Armand Membou, already looks like the one who can anchor it.

In his first career start after being selected No. 7 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, Pro Football Focus graded Membou as the top offensive lineman of Week 1. Yes, he was that good, that fast. He posted a 90.3 run-blocking grade and, across 26 pass-blocking snaps, allowed zero pressures.

Beyond that, Membou earned the highest overall Week 1 grade for any rookie offensive tackle since at least 2006. He also posted the second-best run-blocking grade in that span, trailing only Lane Johnson, and ranked behind just five players in pass-blocking grade.

It was a remarkable debut for Membou, who may have already established himself as the anchor on the right side of the offensive line while Olu Fashanu holds down the left. It’s only one game, but it gives the Jets real hope that they’ve secured both offensive tackle bookends for the next era of the team.

Armand Membou's debut shines light on a bright future for the Jets' offensive line

It's been a while since D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold controlled the offensive line. That gap has featured mostly mediocre play by the line, really magnified by the woes the team had entering the 2023 season that led to Aaron Rodgers' torn Achilles and the running game lacking consistent blocking.

It felt like anyone in the backfield was always on the run, and sometimes even seeing ghosts.

Injuries also created problems, forcing constant offensive line reshuffling that only made things worse. The Jets even lost Alijah Vera-Tucker for the third time in five years to a season-ending injury, which pushed Joe Tippmann to right guard and inserted Josh Myers at center.

The old cliché says football begins in the trenches, and it’s true. Without a strong offensive line, the quarterback has less time to throw, and the running back has fewer chances to find holes.

Without a dominant defensive line, the quarterback faces little pressure, and the rest of the defense is forced to cover longer. Joe Douglas made it clear in 2024 that upgrading the offensive line was a priority with the Fashanu pick, but he was fired soon after.

The problem was that the Jets had already struck out on Mekhi Becton, who later won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles, while 2023 fourth-round pick Carter Warren was released in August. Alijah Vera-Tucker has always shown talent, but hasn’t stayed healthy, and the lack of depth constantly tested the unit.

Injuries will happen, and it’s only one game, but there’s enough from that performance to believe the Jets may have found something, even if Membou won’t be the top-rated offensive lineman every week.

The offense moved the ball well against Pittsburgh, with Breece Hall rushing for 107 yards and the ground game piling up 182 yards and three touchdowns, including 48 from Justin Fields.

The Jets’ newly minted quarterback also benefited from a rock-solid line. Fields was efficient, completing 16 of 22 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown. He connected with receivers downfield with accuracy and made the smart decisions he rarely showed in Chicago or Pittsburgh.

Perhaps a sign of things to come, especially now that he has time to throw instead of constantly running for his life like he did in the Windy City.

Week 1 offered the Jets a glimpse of what stability up front can mean. With Membou and Fashanu anchoring the ends of the line and Fields finally working behind a line that gives him time, the offense looked balanced and dangerous.

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