Bolts From The Blue
Missouri’s Armand Membou is one of the best offensive linemen in the country and could immediately fix the Chargers’ interior with his elite fundamentals and “finishing” mentality.
When Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz used their first-round pick in last year’s draft on offensive tackle Joe Alt, it certainly wasn’t the sexiest pick but it went right along with their plan of building a physical and tough team in the trenches. Despite Alt arguably being an impact player as a rookie, the offensive line was still an issue along the interior.
With their second first-round pick since being hired, could they go right back to improving the front five?
In a new post-Super Bowl mock by CBS Sports, NFL draft analyst Mike Renner has the Chargers drafting Missouri offensive lineman Armand Membou with 22nd-overall pick. Membou is another top tier offensive lineman who has the versatility to play both guard and tackle which only further increases his value to a NFL team.
“Armand Membou played right tackle at Missouri, but has the kind of build that could excel on the interior in the NFL. Jim Harbaugh wasn’t lying when he said he wants to build through the trenches, and as such it wouldn’t surprise me if he went with back-to-back first-rounders along the offensive line.”
At this year’s Senior Bowl, Membou had his measurements verified for all scouts who believed he may not actually hit the thresholds to be an offensive tackle at the next level. Of course here with the Chargers he’d be a guard, but having 34-inch arms is still great for keeping interior defenders at bay.
Membou started 30 consecutive games for the Tigers from 2022 through the 2024 season before opting out of the Music City Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes. When he’s eventually drafted in April, he will have been 21 years old for just under a month. Membou’s combination of talent, potential, and age are phenomenal for a prospect for a team looking to use them as a building block for the future.
Per Lance Zierlein’s draft profile for Membou, he’s got “impeccable body control and poise in his pass sets.” That very, very nice to hear when you recall just how overwhelmed the interior of the Chargers offensive line was against the Houston Texans and their pass rush. Membou is a very solid 320-330 pounds and his play strength is very apparent on film. When he decides to execute his punch and stop the rusher’s initial effort, you can se just how quick and powerful his hands are as he shuts the defender’s plan down almost immediately.
And last but not least, Membou has my favorite trait in any offensive lineman and that’s the “finisher” mentality that helps set the tone for a football game from the very first whistle. If the Chargers want to build the type of offensive line that can bully the Chiefs around (like the Eagles just did in Super Bowl LIX) then this is a pretty good place...
