College statistics don't always tell a lot about a draft choice, but conversely those college metrics might still provide an idea of how a particular player might transition to the pros. Following are the Jets' first three selections from the first two nights of the recently concluded 2025 NFL Draft, along with one or two numbers we found interesting for each player:
1— Armand Membou, T, Missouri
The seventh overall pick's numbers have already been laid out for Jets fans to see, but we'll repeat some of them. Pro Football Focus had Membou on the field in his three Mizzou seasons for 2,099 defensive snaps, 1,036 of them on pass-blocking snaps, and PFF's tally had him yielding just 3 sacks. Last season, Membou made sure to correct a media question that said he gave up only 1 sack — "It's not accurate," he said, politely but firmly. "I didn't give up any sacks." That's no sacks allowed as the Tigers' RT on 411 pass-block snaps.
And while Missouri wasn't a top 10 team in the familiar rush and pass yardage metrics, it did rank high in a category that requires an offense to be in sync and operating at peak efficiency. The Tigers were seventh out of 133 FBS teams with 32:54 in possession time/game. And Membou's point-of-attack blocking and downfield mauling were a big part of that.
2— Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
Taylor's career numbers aren't mind-boggling — his 129 receptions for 1,308 yards and 6 TDs sound like a real good FBS wideout's season. But there's no faulting Taylor, whose mantra while playing at the SEC's Wideout Wonderama was "I'm ready for anything they give me." In 2023 he was fortunate to claw away 36 catches for 348 yards from the likes of outstanding WRs Malik Nabers (Giants) and Brian Thomas (Jaguars).
But last season the Tigers needed some major TE input and Taylor stepped up with career-bests of 55 catches — the school single-season record for the position — and 546 yards. Those several LSU records helped make him only the second Bayou Bengals tight end to be drafted in the first two rounds since 1967, the start of the NFL's common-draft era. The first so honored was David LaFleur, taken 22nd overall by Dallas in 1997.
3— Azareye'h Thomas, CB, Florida State
Many of Thomas' numbers aren't eye-popping. He ran a 4.58 in the 40 at Florida State's pro day, for instance. But Aaron Glenn has said he's looking more and more at play speed vs. "underwear" (combine) speed and says Thomas "plays the brand we want to play."
Two elements underscore that evaluation. At that same pro day, Thomas was graded A-plus for his position workout. And one number that stands out from his final Seminoles season was his 55 total defensive tackles, strong for a corner and second-best on FSU's defense in '24.
Next week we'll take a look at the numbers put up on the board by the Jets' four Day 3 selections: WR Arian Smith, S Malachi Moore, LB Kiko Mauigoa and DE Tyler Baron.
