The Patriots are going into the 2025 NFL Draft with a clear need at offensive tackle, and they could address it by selecting Missouri OT Armand Membou at the top of the first round.

From an outside perspective, Membou was a classic riser during the pre-draft process. Following an outstanding true junior season, the 21-year-old climbed into the media's conversation as OT1 in this draft due to a fantastic combine. Membou posted an elite 9.90 relative athletic score (second-best among OTs). Along with great athletic testing, Membou rose up the board because he has a more prototypical tackle build than the other options. He measured in with 33.5-inch arms and an 82-inch wingspan, meaning there aren't any questions about his measurables, which we all know has been a huge topic with this tackle class.

That said, Membou exclusively played right tackle at Missouri, with all 30 of his collegiate starts coming on the right side, so there's some projecting involved if a team plans to play him at left tackle. However, there's precedent for college right tackles flipping sides in the pros. Plus, although it's a small sample size (25 snaps in 2024), Mizzou used Membou as a "muscle" tight end in unbalanced lines where he would run block on the left side.

On tape, the potential first-round draft pick is at his best using his athleticism and play strength in the run game. Membou excels at blocking on the move, using excellent burst and power out of his stance to reach blocks while moving laterally on the front or backside of outside zone plays. He's also highly effective as a puller and on second-level climbs. The Tigers' plan when they needed to pick up important yards on the ground was evident: run behind No. 79.

In pass protection, Membou didn't allow a single sack while only surrendering eight total pressures on 827 pass-blocking snaps last season. Those are impressive numbers against SEC competition, but putting them into context is important. Due to the nature of Missouri's offense, only 31.4% of his pass-blocking reps were true pass sets, meaning straight drop-backs that weren't play-action, RPOs, or screens, 14th among draft-eligible tackles. To his credit, Membou ranked in the 81st percentile in pass-blocking grade on 129 true pass sets, per PFF. Still, he'll have more challenging assignments in the NFL.

Ultimately, Membou arguably has the highest ceiling among the OTs in this draft. He is an elite athlete with a first-round grade off the film who declared for the draft after his true junior season and will be a 21-year-old rookie. Typically, those are the prospects in the draft with the highest ceilings because they've already reached a first-round level at a very young age, giving them more runway to work on their craft.

Now that we've set the table, let's dig into the film on the projected top-10 draft pick.

Run Blocking

Starting where the projected first-round pick stacks most of his highlight-reel blocks, Membou has high-end flashes as a run blocker, where his elite athleticism is a real asset.

The Tigers majored in zone blocking with Membou last season. According to Pro Football Focus, he ranked third in the tackle class with 166 outside zone blocks, which is a scheme where the offensive line steps at a 90-degree angle toward the sideline while flowing horizontally across the field. The ball carrier will then read the defense to either take a wide turn around the corner, hit the run off-tackle, or cut back through the middle of the field.

Typically, Missouri would run to Membou's side on these schemes, using his explosive movement skills out of his stance to hook the frontside end. For example, Membou is at right tackle above. Due to his great burst out of his stance, Membou has the athleticism to get outside defenders who have favorable leverage at the snap, turning them inside to get the edge. In this instance, he blocks the edge defender all the way downfield, completely turning him inside while also walling off the weakside linebacker in pursuit to "get two" downfield – wow.

Occasionally, Mizzou would run away from Membou, where he could cut off the backside to create cutback lanes or put himself through the second level. In this clip, his right guard chops down the first-level defender, so Membou goes up to the linebacker level, where he squares up the 'backer to help his running back gain extra yards.

Along with making movement blocks in zone schemes, Missouri would also utilize Membou's athleticism as a frontside puller. Above, the Tigers run a crack toss scheme with the receivers cracking down and Membou pulling to the play-side cornerback. Although it doesn't look like much, getting his hands on a corner in space as a 6-4, 332-pound human is not as easy as Membou makes it look, helping spring the back for a nice gain.

By amplifying his twitched-up movements and excellent body control, Membou can be a high-impact run blocker. There are times when Membou gets back-doored on reach blocks because he'll get too amped up out of his stance, thus overshooting his landmark and allowing defenders to slip inside him. But that seems easily coachable, and the good certainly outweighs the bad as a run blocker. On the whole, Membou is a weapon in the run game.

Pass Blocking

Moving to pass protection, Membou only allowed eight hurries last season at Missouri, going his final 15 collegiate games without allowing a sack or a quarterback hit.

Although charting data for college offensive linemen isn't apples to apples to the NFL due to the nature of the offenses and the level of competition, it's still impressive. Membou's foot speed and ability to set inside-out with a good initial kick out of his stance gives him a solid foundation to build on in the pros. You don't see many clean losses in pass protection on his tape, with his technique forcing opposing pass-rushers to work for their pressures over his edge.

By being explosive and efficient out of his stance, Membou can meet rushers at the junction point and widen his edge while protecting against inside counters. He has light feet to mirror rushers on an island with smooth slides, good body control and balance to avoid getting overextended, and can deliver a jolt with his punches that end reps quickly.

The only instance where Membou has some issues in pass protection is vs. speed-to-power. He'll sometimes get caught being late to throw his punch while having wide hands, inviting rushers into his chest where they can dent the pocket. Membou flashes the ability to anchor down in a timely manner, but the power he'll face at the next level will be much more forceful, so cleaning up his punch timing and hand carriage against bull rushers will be an area to work on for him.

If that's the biggest issue on his pass protection tape, Membou is in good shape to handle the rigors of pass protection in the NFL. That said, it bears repeating that he'll now likely be pass-protecting at left tackle versus pros, so his job is about to get much harder. Still, Membou's college film shows a proficient pass blocker without any major technical flaws.

Bottom Line

As we mentioned in the introduction, Membou would likely make the switch from right to left tackle to protect QB Drake Maye's blindside if the Patriots draft him.

From a historical perspective, there are success stories where others have made the switch. Mainly, Bucs All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs and future Hall of Fame OT Tyron Smith were college right tackles. The Bucs star didn't make the switch until his fourth NFL season, with Wirfs earning first-team All-Pro honors in his second year as Tampa Bay's starting left tackle in 2024. Admittedly, that's setting a high bar for Membou to mimic Smith or Wirfs's decorated careers, but it's not totally out of the question.

According to relative athletic score, the closest pro comparison from an athletic profile standpoint for Membou is Wirfs. Wirfs is considered one of the best left tackles in the league, so Membou even coming close to finding similar success in the NFL would be a massive win for the team that drafts him. Plus, Wirfs's story gives you hope that a career right tackle can seamlessly transition to the left side without any issues.

During his first media availability since joining head coach Mike Vrabel's staff earlier this month, offensive line coach Doug Marrone noted he has prior experience with flipping tackles. Marrone coached former first-round pick Jammal Brown through the transition while on Sean Payton's staff in New Orleans. As the Pats line coach explained, Brown began on the right side as a rookie before switching to left tackle, earning All-Pro honors as a left tackle.

"I was part of that, it's just pretty cool. It wasn't me, though, I didn't do it. The guy was very talented," Marrone said. "It wasn't like I'm this great coach that all of a sudden switched him over there, and we're able to do it. The kid had a ton of talent, but he did it."

Like Brown, Wrifs, and Smith, Membou is also extremely talented. The Missouri product has the physical tools to play left tackle, with this scribe projecting that Membou could step in as a year-one starter in his rookie season. His NFL team will get to work as soon as possible on the transition, putting Membou in a left tackle stance to drill his footwork and technique, which is something teams might've asked to see already in private workouts with Membou during the pre-draft process.

The Patriots head into the draft as they continue to rebuild an offensive line that was 31st in pass-blocking and 32nd in run-blocking win rate last season. Given that they have a promising young quarterback, upgrading the offensive line is a top priority for Vrabel and personnel chief Eliot Wolf this offseason.

Along with LSU's Will Campbell, Membou is in the conversation to be the first offensive tackle taken in the 2025 NFL Draft.

DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer