Armand Membou's NFL comparison is a former All-Pro Jets fans know well

The New York Jets believe Armand Membou could be a long-term building block for their offensive line. One respected NFL scout seems to agree, and even compared the rookie to a former All-Pro who Jets fans know well.

Bleacher Report’s Brandon Thorn compared Membou to five-time Pro Bowler and former All-Pro Duane Brown, who spent the final two years of his NFL career in green and white.

Signed in August of 2022 following Mekhi Becton's season-ending knee injury, Brown battled injuries and started 15 games over two seasons with the Jets. While his stint in New York was forgettable, his 17-year career was anything but.

A longtime stalwart at left tackle, Brown started 218 career games and earned a reputation as one of the league’s premier linemen for well over a decade.

This will be the first installment in an ongoing series exploring NFL comparisons for each of the Jets’ 2025 draft picks. And if Membou’s is any indication, the Jets might have walked away from this draft class with some potential franchise cornerstones.

Armand Membou's NFL comparison is Duane Brown

The comparison between Membou and Brown isn’t necessarily one-to-one, but there are enough intriguing similarities to take it seriously. Both linemen were late risers during the pre-draft process, impressing scouts with their athleticism after standout performances in workouts and all-star events.

For Brown, it was a strong showing at the East-West Shrine Bowl and athletic testing that catapulted him from a Day 2 prospect to a first-round pick in 2008. Membou followed a similar path this year, posting elite testing numbers at the NFL Combine and solidifying himself as a top-10 selection.

At 6-foot-3, 314 pounds, Membou ran a blazing 4.91-second 40-yard dash and led all offensive tackles with 31 bench press reps. His 9.90 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) ranked 16th out of all 1,500 draft-eligible offensive tackles since 1987.

Brown, a former tight end at Virginia Tech, also wowed evaluators with his movement skills and explosiveness. His RAS (8.82) wasn’t quite as high as Membou’s, but the sell for both players was similar — rare athletic traits that could be molded with the right coaching.

Brown’s NFL resume speaks for itself. A first-round pick by the Houston Texans in 2008, Brown quickly became a mainstay on the left side of the offensive line. He spent the first 10 seasons of his career in Houston, earning four Pro Bowl selections and a first-team All-Pro nod in 2012.

Brown was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 2017, where he added another Pro Bowl appearance and helped anchor one of the league’s better offenses. He finished his 17-year career with the Jets, where injuries ultimately proved to be his eventual downfall.

Of course, there are notable differences too. Brown spent his entire NFL career at left tackle, while Membou played exclusively at right tackle in college and is expected to begin his NFL career on the right side.

But it's those same tools and All-Pro upside that made Brown a success that also give Membou a real shot to follow in his footsteps.

The Jets are betting on those tools translating. And if Membou can come close to matching the ceiling of his NFL comp, Daren Mougey's first pick as Jets general manager could turn into a cornerstone of the franchise’s next era.

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