The New York Jets may have fallen 31-12 to the Giants, but there were plenty of fascinating storylines beyond the final score.
One of the most intriguing battles featured two top-10 picks from the 2025 NFL draft. Jets offensive tackle Armand Membou (7th overall) faced off against Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter (3rd overall) a few times through the night.
Both players enter the 2025 season with sky-high expectations. So, how did they perform in a head-to-head duel?
In the game, Membou played 24 total snaps while Carter played 18. Fans had to wait until the second drive to see them face off. In the end, they faced off only four times, including three run plays and one pass play.
Here are each of those plays.
1st matchup: Inside run
In the first matchup between the rookies, the Jets run toward the A gap on the right side for only a small gain. Membou doesn’t get much movement after engaging with Carter, which forces Hall to cut it inside. However, he also doesn’t let him by, so I’ll call this one a tie.
Result: Tie
2nd matchup: Backside run
In the second matchup, Membou records his first win. The Jets run wide left, so his job is simple: keep Carter from crashing inside. Membou meets him head-on, absorbs the contact, and holds him in place until the play is over.
Result: Membou win
3rd matchup: Pass protection
The third rep was the rookies’ only matchup in pass protection. Justin Fields gets the ball out in under two seconds, which helps. Carter is split wide due to the presence of the tight end, and Membou gets in position with ease. On contact, Membou absorbs Carter’s attempted spin move without an issue.
While Membou gets the win, he does need to clean up his hand placement. He practically bear hugs Carter on this rep, and it could’ve easily been called a holding in some games.
Result: Membou win
4th matchup: Inside run
In this matchup, the Jets call another inside run to the right side. Membou makes contact, but doesn’t generate much movement, and Carter is able to disengage. While Carter doesn’t make the play, he holds his ground well and wins the matchup.
Result: Carter win
Conclusion
By my count, Membou had two wins, one loss, and one tie (2-1-1). It’s not bad for what was an uneven night for the rookie. He benefited from some good situations, but he did well in the areas he could control.
One area Membou will need to improve is his hand placement. His hands are wide on almost all of these plays, which may lead to him being called for some holding penalties. It also contributed to Membou not generating as much push on the run plays as he would like.
In the end, it was only four snaps in the second preseason game of two rookies. It likely has little indication of their future success. Still, it’s exciting to watch two new faces of the New York sports world face off.