FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:
1. Big investment: It started in 2020 and it continued through Thursday night with the selection of tackle Armand Membou. It's quite extraordinary, almost historic.
The Jets became the first team in a quarter century to select four first-round offensive linemen in a six-draft span, according to ESPN Research. The last teams to do it were the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks, both from 1996 to 2001.
Before Membou, there was Olu Fashanu (2024), Alijah Vera-Tucker (2021) and Mekhi Becton (2020), who is no longer with the team. The Jets' new regime, continuing what the previous administration started, is making a concerted effort to turn the offensive line into the foundation of the franchise.
"It's a solid wall. It's a strong wall up front," former Jets general manager Joe Douglas said in his role as a guest analyst on FOX Sports radio -- his first public comments since being fired last November. "I think [Membou] is a great pick. It's a mentality pick."
Douglas said Membou has "the most upside of any tackle in the draft," noting his "elite" footwork, bend and length. The current group of decision makers felt the same way, opting to invest more significant capital into an already-popular fund.
Call it a hedge fund -- a way to safeguard their new quarterback, Justin Fields.
Quite frankly, it has underperformed in recent years. The Jets finished 23rd in pass block win rate last season, per ESPN Research. Prior to that, they ranked 30th, 21st, 17th and 29th in that metric. New coach Aaron Glenn wants to change that, and he wants to do it in a way that makes the offensive line the calling card of the offense.
Glenn has seen this before. In his second year as a New Orleans Saints assistant (2017), the team drafted tackle Ryan Ramczyk in the first round. In his first year as a Lions assistant (2021), they picked tackle Penei Sewell with the seventh overall pick -- the same slot as Membou.
"I come from two teams ... where everything was about the offensive line," Glenn said. "I'm a firm believer that you start it inside out. So if we can build our line, just as much as our defensive line, that only helps you as a team. It helps your quarterback, it helps your running backs, it helps your passing game, and it just creates an identity within your team. You're trying to make sure that every team, when they watch film, they see that."
From left to right, the Jets' line will be Fashanu, John Simpson, Joe Tippmann, Vera-Tucker and Membou. On opening day, they all will be 28 (Simpson) and under. Of course, there are no guarantees in this business.
The turn-of-the-century Lions, with their beefed-up line blocking for Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders, never won a playoff game in that period. The Seahawks finally broke through with an NFC championship in 2005, featuring an offensive line that included two of their four first rounders from 1996 to 2001 -- Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson, both Hall of Famers.
2. By the book: A few weeks ago, Glenn said the offseason goal for the organization was to "move in silence." It certainly adhered to that mantra in the draft. General manager Darren Mougey's first draft was all about substance, not flash.
In Round 1, he opted for an offensive lineman over highly-rated tight end Tyler Warren. In Round 2, he drafted tight end Mason Taylor, a surehanded possession receiver (9.9 yards per reception), over big-play tight end Elijah Arroyo (16.3). In Round 3, he took cornerback Azareye'h Thomas over some speedy wide receivers.
Mougey didn't draft a quarterback and didn't deviate from his list of needs. He made two trades on Day 3, moving up for safety Malachi Moore (fourth round) and defensive end Tyler Baron (fifth).
"I think the No. 1 thing is, we really got guys that fit the brand of who we're going to be," Glenn said.
3. Time will tell -- or will it? Glenn is a former scout who prides himself on his ability to evaluate talent, especially cornerbacks -- the position he played for 15 years. So when he stands on the table for a player like Thomas, whose stock dropped because of a pedestrian 40-yard dash time (4.58 seconds), it's worth paying attention.
Glenn said he learned from one of his former players, like Lions cornerback Brian Branch, that game speed is more important than stopwatch speed. Branch clocked a 4.58 in 2023 and slipped to the second round, but now he's one of the best DBs in the league.
"Seeing how he plays on the field, that's more enticing to me than watching a guy run in underwear at the combine," Glenn said.
Thomas dismissed his 40 time, saying, "I'm not a 40 guy, I'm not a stat guy, I'm a film guy."
4. A gift for Fields: Taylor could be a key addition for quarterback Justin Fields. How important is a good tight end to him? Very.
Fields has an 87.7 QBR when targeting tight ends over the last two seasons, per ESPN Research. Only Lamar Jackson (93.9) and Brock Purdy (92.4) have a higher QBR in that span (minimum: 20 games played).
5. Crossing T's, dotting I's: It's amazing how, even after months of intense scouting and research, a decision can come down to a phone call -- or, in Membou's case, a video call with Glenn. That occurred a few days before the first round, as the Jets checked in with a few players.
Mougey said the objective in an 11th-hour call is to fill in a blank or challenge a player with a certain question. The Jets conducted several conversations with Membou over the last two months -- a former interview at the combine, a visit to the facility on March 27 (his 21st birthday) and a few conversations this past week.
Evidently, Membou said what they wanted to hear.
"[They were] just getting to know me one more time before the draft and just seeing what my mentality was going into NFL," Membou said.
6. Stacks of pancakes: If you want to be entertained, check out Membou's high school highlights.
It's six-plus minutes of utter domination. He serves up more pancakes than a short-order cook at IHOP. The most eye-catching play occurs at the 35-second mark.
In pass protection, Membou locks up his man around midfield and steers him all the way to the sideline, continuing to drive even after the play is over. It's something straight out of "The Blind Side" movie.
7. Big wheels: You already know about Membou's impressive 40-yard dash at the scouting combine (4.91 seconds at 332 pounds), but he also has been clocked at 21 mph on the field reportedly, based on GPS tracking.
To put that into perspective, the Jets only had one ballcarrier reach 21 mph last season -- cornerback Brandin Echols on an interception return, per Next Gen Stats.
8. Volunteer work: When a player wants a contract extension, he sometimes boycotts the voluntary portion of the offseason program to send a message and protect himself from injury. Cornerback Sauce Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson, running back Breece Hall and linebacker Quincy Williams would be justified in taking that route, but they're all participating to varying degrees, according to multiple sources. That's a positive.
9. Glaring omission: They failed to address one of their top needs -- defensive tackle, one of the deepest positions in the draft. They got jumped by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round, trading up one spot ahead of the Jets to select defensive tackle Deone Walker. The Bills suspected the Jets might grab him.
10. The last word: Glenn was asked if he had a response to Aaron Rodgers' recent criticism of him. "Absolutely," Glenn said. For a moment, it appeared as if he might fire back at the Jets' former quarterback. But ... "Membou is a really good player," he said, "and I'm so excited he's a Jet."
