During the 2024 NFL Draft, Brian Gutekunst used Green Bay’s first-round pick on offensive lineman Jordan Morgan. He then followed that up by using a pair of Day 3 picks on offensive linemen.
With starting center Josh Myers set to hit free agency and Rasheed Walker, Zach Tom, and Sean Rhyan all entering contract years, Gutekunst could once again invest a number of assets into the offensive line during the 2025 NFL Draft.
A potential target is Missouri’s Armand Membou. The Missouri offensive lineman checks in at No. 83 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.
Membou, a four-star recruit and Missouri native, finished his career as a Tiger with 30 career starts at right tackle.
“The best part of Membou’s game is his quickness in multiple areas,” Joey Van Zummeren, a Missouri reporter for SI Now, said. “His footwork is smooth and quick laterally, which fits especially well for an offense that runs as much wide zone as Missouri does. He always seems to be one mental step ahead of the defender.”
Membou has athletic feet and everything stays in sync during his lateral slide. He has outstanding lateral quickness to shut down the corner. The Missouri native is flexible and plays with good knee bend. He has a strong core and can anchor down against power. He has patient, powerful hands in his pass sets. According to Pro Football Focus, Membou gave up zero sacks and nine pressures this past season.
“The quickness he has mentally and with his feet really helps Membou in pass protection,” Van Zummeren said. “Even if he loses leverage upon first contact, he’s able to adjust pretty well. His quick reaction time allows him to get his hand placement in at good timing to slow rushers down.”
As a run blocker, Membou uses his strong hands to latch and drive defenders downfield. He shows good movement skills and is rangy as a run blocker. With his athleticism, he can easily climb to the second level and more often than not hits his landmarks.
“It’s obviously very rare for an offensive lineman to stand out in live action,” Van Zummeren said. “But there were multiple plays from this season, especially in the last third of it, where Membou’s impact was very noticeable in the run game. Missouri’s run game is very vision-based and Membou seems to have an excellent understanding of what lanes he needs to clear. His upper body strength allows him to hold on to defenders in situations where other offensive linemen have to resort to holding.”
Fit with the Packers
Membou checks a lot of boxes for the Packers. He’s an athletic offensive lineman who will turn 21 in March. While he only took one career snap at guard during his collegiate career, he played there in high school and he has the makeup to kick inside.
One has to imagine that the Packers will prioritize locking up Tom for a long-term deal.
Will Gutekunst put a similar priority on giving Walker and Rhyan second contracts? Will Myers be back? Where will Elgton Jenkins be playing to start the upcoming season? Do the Packers move him to center to open up a spot for Morgan?
With all those question marks, one has to imagine Gutekunst will look to add an offensive lineman or two in the upcoming draft and put a priority on players who can play multiple positions. They need to bolster the interior depth, along with getting another player who can play tackle.
“Membou feels like a high floor, high ceiling prospect,” Van Zummeren said. “He’s young, athletic, allows few pressures and is rarely penalized. He’s an exciting prospect because of his potential but also has the production to back it up. Teams would know what they’re getting in Membou while also still having a raw prospect with room to grow. Membou checks some of Green Bay’s boxes with his possible versatility, youth and what should be a high RAS score.”
