2025 NFL draft profile: Missouri right tackle Armand Membou
Diving into the Missouri offensive lineman and what makes him an intriguing NFL draft prospect
Missouri football’s right tackle Armand Membou announced his intentions to enter the NFL draft on Dec. 6, 2024, forgoing the Music City Bowl to begin his preparation for the draft process. Since then, and with the help of an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, Membou has shot up draft boards, quickly becoming one of the draft’s most coveted offensive linemen.
Membou entered college as a top-15 interior offensive line prospect in the country and quickly made an impact for the Tigers, starting the final five games of his first season. As a sophomore, he transitioned to the team’s full-time right tackle, starting in 13 games. He played a premium role on a unit that was selected as a semifinalist for the Joe Moore award, which recognizes the top offensive line groups in the country.
During his junior year, Membou flourished as a star, starting every regular season game at the same position and locking down the strong side for quarterback Brady Cook. Across Membou’s 410 snaps in pass protection as a junior, he allowed only nine quarterback pressures and zero sacks. Apart from pass protection, he could frequently be found well downfield on run plays, serving as Missouri’s best vertical run blocker.
Missouri junior offensive lineman Armand Membou celebrates a touchdown with his teammates on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2025, at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. Membou announced his declaration for the NFL draft via an Instagram post made on Dec. 6, 2024. (Hannah Henderson/Maneater)
“A big point of emphasis for us is playing physical at the point of attack, and I think [Membou has] handled his job really well,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in a press conference after facing Mississippi State. “[He] came in and played as a true freshman and every year, every game shows more and more growth.”
The biggest questions about Membou in the pre-draft process have to do with his size. The official Senior Bowl measurements list Membou at 6-foot-3 and three-fourths inches, weighing 332 pounds with 33 and one-eighth inch arms and a 6-foot-9 wingspan. These measurements firmly place Membou in the undersized category of offensive tackles — for reference, the first offensive linemen picked in the last three drafts all stand taller than 6-foot-6-inches tall with arms longer than 34 inches.
Still, success as a tackle is not impossible at his size. Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell and Los Angeles Chargers tackle Rashawn Slater, the first two offensive linemen selected in the 2021 NFL draft, have shorter arms and stand less than an inch taller than Membou.
Although having dominant physical traits can help offensive tackles simply overpower opposing defensive linemen, there are some benefits of being a smaller tackle. Exceptionally tall linemen can struggle with faster rushers who can quickly bend around the edge, lacking the proper speed to transition their feet.
In addition, someone of Membou’s size can almost always win the pad-level battle, allowing them to dig deeper into a bracing position and mitigate power rushes.
Regardless, there are several downsides to playing as an undersized offensive tackle. Although Membou has a quick first step, he lacks game-breaking speed, which leaves him vulnerable as a pass protector against athletic opponents at the professional level when compounded with his below-average arm length.
He has shown proficiency with his hand technique, utilizing proper punch timing and other strategies to win hand battles with opposing rushers, but the more refined techniques of NFL defensive linemen will leave Membou with an uphill battle where he must perfect his technique to make up for his physical disadvantages as an offensive tackle.
Membou projects better as an interior lineman at the NFL level. Arm length can affect tackles’ abilities to protect off the far edge, so placing Membou at the guard position would allow him to play a more face-up protection position, which plays heavily to his strengths. Although it is not his strongest trait, Membou still possesses formidable speed. He is in a good position to work as a pulling guard in run schemes and open up holes downfield with his high effort and determination.
Although playing as a guard would be a fantastic role for Membou, his upside as a tackle is still evident. The lineman quieted many doubters with an incredible performance at the NFL combine. Membou, along with another highly-touted prospect in Will Campbell, became one of just four offensive linemen over 315 pounds ever to jump higher than 30 inches on the vertical jump and run a 40-yard dash in under five seconds. The other two? NFL All-Pro tackles Trent Williams and Tristan Wirfs. The impressive numbers that Membou put up in Indianapolis have shot him up draft boards nationwide.
Membou has drawn many comparisons to New York Jets offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, a former first-round pick out of USC. Like Vera-Tucker coming out of college, Membou requires more all-around refinement in order to consistently stop the superstar defensive linemen of the NFL. In a top-heavy offensive line draft that lacks significant talent at typical first-round positions like quarterback and wide receiver, Membou could be one of the first names off the board.
Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.com
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Projection:
Mid-first round
Potential landing spots: Houston Texans, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts
