Fast Right Tackle Armand Membou Late First Round Value

Missouri right tackle Armand Membou started trending in December.

That’s when his draft stock started picking up steam in the NFL Draft Community, and I knew I needed to take a look.

What did I see?

I saw the fastest recovery step I’ve ever seen from a right tackle in pass protection.

What’s a recovery step?

It’s an unexpected second step an offensive tackle needs to take to match the pass rusher he’s facing when he starts losing blocking leverage.

His first step in pass protection is quick to begin with, but that lightning-fast recovery step is even more special. Both are worth their weight in gold.

Membou has hiccups in every other part of his game, but make no mistake—it’s all about lateral foot speed for the offensive tackles who are tasked with blocking the NFL’s elite edge rushers.

Tell me more about Membou in pass protection

Additionally, he’s highly competitive, which covers up for a multitude of sins. In other words, if he starts getting beat through the front or back door of the pocket, he’s going to do whatever it takes to keep his man off his quarterback.

I’m not making this stuff up.

Per Pro Football Focus, Membou has played in 1,036 college career pass blocking snaps for Missouri in three seasons, and in that span of action, he gave up three sacks. Granted, he’s given up 23 hurries in that same period, but catch what I said. He’s proven he can keep the quarterback upright long enough. Another good sign is Membou showed improvement in 2024, allowing eight hurries compared to 12 hurries the season prior.

Why’s he giving up hurries?

HIS MOVEMENTS ARE TIGHT.

Membou looks like his uniform is too small the way he moves around.

This left him vulnerable to pass-rush moves inside and guys who were faster than him to the backdoor of the pocket.

What does he look like run blocking?

Membou is a mauler.

He was below average to average in this department, but the run game and run blocking is secondary to pass protection in today’s pass-happy NFL.

This right-tackle prospect was tough and physical in the run game, but he struggled to control blocks unless he had blocking leverage.

Why?

Again, his movements are TIGHT.

To his credit, the effort is there. He’s also “athletic” enough and more importantly fast enough to get out to the second-level (where the linebackers reside pre-snap) and further downfield as well. Membou can run.

How fast is he?

Per NFL.com, “His 40 was the fastest by any offensive lineman that’s at least 6-4 and 330 pounds since 2003, per NFL Research.”

Best guess?

With both the Rams and Commanders’ starting right tackles being in the last year of their contracts in 2025, those two teams would be ideal landing spots, according to team needs published by NFL.com.

The Rams are scheduled to pick at No. 26, and the Commanders are at No. 29.

#79 Armand Membou 6-foot-4, 332 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Final NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 44.5% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of March 29, 2025 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2024 game film evaluated: Murray State, Buffalo, Boston College, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, UMASS, Auburn, Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Mississippi State, and Arkansas (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Sturdy and strong right tackle who excels with leverage. Aggressive nature. Spot duty at left tackle in a different formation. Guard versatility. Boxy equally distributed frame. Long arms. Thick thighs. Big bubble. Strong anchor vs. bull rushes in pass pro. Twitchy footwork. Doesn’t cross over his feet while setting up. Solid hand usage. Mostly stays square. Vulnerable to delayed blitzes. Solid vs. stunts. Tendency to give up too early on pass and run blocks. Mostly stays off the ground except when producing pancake blocks. Struggles to sustain.

Final words

NFL starter who moves the meter with his defensive mentality.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.