The only instance where Membou has some issues in pass protection is vs. speed-to-power. He’ll sometimes get caught being late to throw his punch while having wide hands, inviting rushers into his chest where they can dent the pocket. Membou flashes the ability to anchor down in a timely manner, but the power he’ll face at the next level will be much more forceful, so cleaning up his punch timing and hand carriage against bull rushers will be an area to work on for him.
If that’s the biggest issue on his pass protection tape, Membou is in good shape to handle the rigors of pass protection in the NFL. That said, it bears repeating that he’ll now likely be pass-protecting at left tackle versus pros, so his job is about to get much harder. Still, Membou’s college film shows a proficient pass blocker without any major technical flaws.
As we mentioned in the introduction, Membou would likely make the switch from right to left tackle to protect QB Drake Maye’s blindside if the Patriots draft him.
From a historical perspective, there are success stories where others have made the switch. Mainly, Bucs All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs and future Hall of Fame OT Tyron Smith were college right tackles. The Bucs star didn’t make the switch until his fourth NFL season, with Wirfs earning first-team All-Pro honors in his second year as Tampa Bay’s starting left tackle in 2024. Admittedly, that’s setting a high bar for Membou to mimic Smith or Wirfs’s decorated careers, but it’s not totally out of the question.
According to relative athletic score, the closest pro comparison from an athletic profile standpoint for Membou is Wirfs. Wirfs is considered one of the best left tackles in the league, so Membou even coming close to finding similar success in the NFL would be a massive win for the team that drafts him. Plus, Wirfs’s story gives you hope that a career right tackle can seamlessly transition to the left side without any issues.
During his first media availability since joining head coach Mike Vrabel’s staff earlier this month, offensive line coach Doug Marrone noted he has prior experience with flipping tackles. Marrone coached former first-round pick Jammal Brown through the transition while on Sean Payton’s staff in New Orleans. As the Pats line coach explained, Brown began on the right side as a rookie before switching to left tackle, earning All-Pro honors as a left tackle.
“I was part of that, it’s just pretty cool. It wasn’t me, though, I didn’t do it. The guy was very talented,” Marrone said. “It wasn’t like I’m this great coach that all of a sudden switched him over there, and we’re able to do it. The kid had a ton of talent, but he did it.”
Like Brown, Wrifs, and Smith, Membou is also extremely talented. The Missouri product has the physical tools to play left tackle, with this scribe projecting that Membou could step in as a year-one starter in his rookie season. His NFL team will get to work as soon as possible on the transition, putting Membou in a left tackle stance to drill his footwork and technique, which is something teams might’ve asked to see already in private workouts with Membou during the pre-draft process.
The Patriots head into the draft as they continue to rebuild an offensive line that was 31st in pass-blocking and 32nd in run-blocking win rate last season. Given that they have a promising young quarterback, upgrading the offensive line is a top priority for Vrabel and personnel chief Eliot Wolf this offseason.
Along with LSU’s Will Campbell, Membou is in the conversation to be the first offensive tackle taken in the 2025 NFL Draft.