Jets make high-profile pivot after missing out on Armand Membou in 2025 re-draft

The New York Jets' 2025 season was full of disappointment, but one of the few bright spots was the play of rookie right tackle Armand Membou. The Missouri product proved to be a home run of a pick, landing on the All-Rookie Team, and even making a case for Offensive Rookie of the Year, despite the uphill climb he faces as a tackle to actually win the honor.

As the seventh-overall pick of the draft, his stock was already high heading into the proceedings, but knowing what we know now, it would be even higher if the draft were to take place today. That's exactly how we see things play out in ESPN's 2025 re-draft.

In this re-telling, Membou doesn't last until the Jets are on the clock, getting snapped up by the Las Vegas Raiders at pick six. That forces an intriguing pivot that would've had another intriguing young talent moving locker rooms at MetLife, as Abdul Carter lands with the Gang Green.

ESPN's redraft sees the Jets pivoting from Armand Membou to Abdul Carter

These thought exercises are truly fascinating, and if things had played this way, it would be both disastrous and exciting for the Jets.

On the one hand, the offensive line, which has been varying degrees of awful for much of the past decade and a half, would've been dealt a huge blow. Not only was Membou great, but by the time the draft had rolled around, all of the free-agent tackles had found new homes, including 2024 starter Morgan Moses.

On the other hand, the pass rush was a huge area of weakness for the Jets. Will McDonald was boom-or-bust as a pass rusher, recording half of his eight sacks during the Week 10 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, and putting up a putrid 41.4 run defense grade. The showing proved he shouldn't be more than a situational pass rusher.

Meanwhile, Jermaine Johnson once again battled injuries, and when he was healthy, he lacked juice in both facets. It was a disappointing performance for a player who had previously been one of the more well-rounded edge defenders in the league.

Carter had a bit of an adjustment period in the early going, but found his footing as the season progressed. His 66 total pressures ranked 11th among edge rushers, and he had a sack in each game from Weeks 13 through 17, before going sackless (but posting five pressures) in the season finale.

Ultimately, this imaginary pivot would be neither catastrophic nor transformative for the Jets. Instead, they still wind up with a promising young player at a very valuable position, and simply shift a critical need in the trenches from one side of the ball to the other.

Edge needs to be a key focus this offseason, as the players behind McDonald and Johnson proved they're borderline NFL-caliber talents at best, but if things had played out the way ESPN predicts, the same would be said about the right tackle position. Ultimately, not much would have changed — good or bad — had things played out this way.