The Jets' two top selections in the past two NFL Drafts -- LT Olu Fashanu and RT Armand Membou -- have only begun to scratch the surface of their immense talents. Nevertheless, the prospect of having the two young bookends protecting quarterbacks and helping to drive the run game has been one of the bright spots so far this season.
"Yeah, just two young players that are coming along," O-line coach Steve Heiden said. "They're on top of it. They're smart. I'm really happy with how they prepare every day. These are two young guys that try to do it the right way every time we're out on that field, so I'm happy about that."
As they prepare for Sunday's encounter with the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium, the Jets' ground game ranks third in the NFL with 578 yards (144.5 per/g) while the Cowboys are No. 20 against the run, giving up 123.3 yards a game. That is the Green & White's best number through four games since 2014. Against Miami last week, the offense rambled for a season-high 197 yards powered by 81 yards each from QB Justin Fields and RB Breece Hall.
Fashanu (6-6, 312) was the Jets' top-graded offensive player, according to Pro Football Focus, with a 74.5 overall grade and an 88.6 pass-blocking grade. Membou (6-4, 332) wasn't far behind with a 73.9 overall number.
"Obviously it was a very good feeling," Fashanu, 22, said about the rush performance against the Dolphins. "And I feel like for us, it's all about just taking all the good, all the good that we did in Miami, and just continuing to build on it."
He added: "We just know that if the O-line does our job, if all five of us do our jobs, Breece can go off against any defense. So again, for us, it's all about just finding the positives that we got against Miami and just continue. We're encouraged."
So far the five -- the two young tackles, plus LG John Simpson, C Josh Myers and RG Joe Tippmann, have been constants on the offensive line, driving the ground game that HC Aaron Glenn and OC Tanner Engstrand have been emphasizing since back in January when they were hired.
Membou, 21, a rookie who is only four games into his NFL career, looks comfortable, experienced and capable of handling anything thrown at him. Last week's PFF grade was the highest among the tackles in his draft class. He partly attributed his current success to the challenge of dealing with the Jets' edge Will McDonald IV in training camp.
"Going against a guy like him in practice and camp, once it gets to the game – it slows down a lot," Membou said. "So it has definitely helped me." He added: "Having all those guys [on the O-line] help me getting extra work after practice and stuff, and they've been a really good vet group to me."
Heiden, speaking after the Week 3 game against Tampa Bay, said the rookie has impressed him.
"I'd say he's just doing everything the right way, the way we ask him to do," Heiden said. "I would never want to say he's farther along than I would hoped, but yeah, he's doing a good job, especially for a rookie. Again, it's about how he's preparing to play the game. He does a really good job studying the opponents, understanding the looks, and going about it that way. I would say mentally he's ahead of where most rookies are."
Fashanu, hardly a grizzled vet, said that Membou has been nothing but solid "since the moment he stepped into the facility for the first time." It's clear that the No. 7 overall pick in 2025 has impressed the No. 11 overall pick in 2024.
"He's super detail oriented, very smart, fast, strong and very tough, and he's been the same person every day," Fashanu said. "So for him to go out and perform it's really no surprise.
"He just goes out and plays with a lot of confidence. He's not out on the field timid. He has absolute trust with the rest of the line, for everyone to go out and do their jobs, so it gives him the confidence to go out there and just play with somewhat reckless abandon."
