The New York Jets’ offensive line has been the subject of immense scrutiny to begin the 2026 season.
Key short-yardage runs are not being converted, clutch sacks are being allowed galore, and Braelon Allen is having to break two tackles on every carry just to average four yards a pop.
Many culprits have been involved in the Jets’ blocking woes. Left tackle Olu Fashanu has been a sack machine. Left guard Dylan Parham has been absent for four weeks after a hot start, and his replacement, Jordan Meredith, has struggled.
Center Josh Myers is a benching candidate, while right guard Joe Tippmann is on a cold streak in pass protection.
The silver lining? Right tackle Armand Membou.
Membou is coming into his own
Membou, the seventh overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft, got off to a shaky start over the first three games of 2026. While he was not a liability, his play took a slight step back from a rookie season in which he already looked like an above-average starter at 21 years old.
It was a mildly disappointing sight for a player who was believed to have elite right tackle upside in his second year, given how high of a floor he had set at such a young age. But for a kid who was just 22 years old, three games weren’t enough to sound the alarms just yet.
Unsurprisingly, Membou has gotten back on course over the last four games. While the rest of the unit continues to struggle, No. 70 has asserted himself as one of the game’s ascending elite tackles.
From Weeks 4-7, Membou earned a 77.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking third among right tackles. Only the Colts’ Bernhard Raimann (78.5) and the Titans’ JC Latham (78.4) graded better.
Membou shined most as a run blocker, where his 78.1 run-blocking grade led the position. That’s a huge development for the Missouri product, as his pass protection has been ahead of his run blocking dating back to his college days.
If Membou can sustain this type of consistency as a run blocker moving forward, he will be considered a superstar lineman in no time. His highs as a run blocker have always been very high; his blend of top-tier athletic tools and a nasty attitude will create some flashy highlights. The problem has been his consistency; Membou has been prone to whiffs in the run game due to leaning or over-pursuing big blocks in space.
Pass protection, though, continues to a strength for Membou. Over the last four games, he’s allowed eight total pressures, tying him for the 14th-most among right tackles. Only two of those were hits on the quarterback, including one sack.
While his pressure total is in the middle of the pack, it is important to adjust for the fact that Membou plays in an offense that asks a lot of its linemen in pass protection. Jets quarterback Geno Smith has released the ball in under 2.5 seconds on just 34.2% of his dropbacks, the fourth-lowest rate among qualifiers (min. 150 dropbacks).
Over the last four weeks, that number has crept down to 33.7%, ranking third-lowest.
That means Membou is handling a tougher job than most other tackles. The fact that he ranks in the middle in pressures allowed over the last four weeks despite a bottom-three rate of quick passes is quite the accomplishment, especially considering that of Membou’s eight pressures allowed, just one was a sack.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Jets have found their franchise right tackle. Unfortunately for New York, Membou cannot carry the offensive line to success on his own.
More than any other unit in football, the offensive line’s production is rarely equal to the exact sum of its parts. Cohesion and communication are paramount in determining how the five-man unit (plus the QB, backs, and tight ends) performs.
The Jets have plenty of talent up front. The challenge is figuring out how to get all of that talent to gel.
