The Jets needed a starting right tackle. And Missouri’s Armand Membou, who the Jets picked No. 7 overall Thursday night in the NFL Draft, doesn’t have any doubt that he can fill the role. Minutes after being drafted, Membou joined reporters for a video call and was asked about a discrepancy in his pre-draft numbers. ESPN had him for one sack allowed in 2024, Pro Football Focus had him down for none. “It’s not accurate,” Membou said of the one sack credited against him. “I didn’t give up any sacks. You can go watch the film.” So competitiveness clearly isn’t going to be a problem for the newest Jet. He was ready for that question. And he doesn’t seem to be short on confidence, either. When asked about new coach Aaron Glenn, Membou couldn’t contain his excitement. “He’s a cool-ass dude,” Membou said. “I’m sorry, I’m still geeking right now.” But he was serious when asked what he’ll bring to the Jets. “I’d say they’re getting a mauler for sure,” Membou said. “A mauler in the run game and in pass pro[tection], someone who’s very consistent. I’m going to keep my quarterback clean.” Membou’s journey to the NFL is a remarkable one considering he only started playing football in eight grade, after playing other sports growing up. He was relegated to the bench until his junior year in high school when he finally earned a starting job -- validating his choice to stick with football over basketball, soccer, tennis and wrestling. “Football’s a different sport,” Membou said “Like the brotherhood aspect, what you go through with your teammates. I feel like it’s not the same compared to everything else. ...I wasn’t that good at first, but just sticking through it and going through that process, I developed my love for the game.” Membou got better every year at Missouri, where he started for all three seasons. But he turned 21 less than a month ago and admitted he considered staying for one more year to polish his game. “But in my heart, I knew I was ready,” he said. “It was my time to go and I’m glad I trusted my decision.” Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Andy Vasquez may be reached at avasquez@njadvancemedia.com.