All signs point to the New Orleans Saints giving Trevor Penning an opportunity to build on his encouraging 2024 season and win a long-term contract extension as the team's starting right tackle -- but the 2025 NFL draft could throw a wrench in those plans. If the Saints have an opportunity to get a starting-quality tackle early in this year's draft, they shouldn't let Penning's presence stop them from picking him.
And that's just what might happen at No. 9 overall. ESPN's Matt Bowen highlighted his favorite team fit for each of this year's 20 top prospects, and when it comes to the Saints, he likes Missouri Tigers right tackle Armand Membou as a perfect match:
"The Saints could go multiple directions with this pick, but I like the idea of new coach Kellen Moore adding Membou to pair him with 2024 first-rounder Taliese Fuaga. That would give the team two bookend tackles of the future. I see Membou playing at the right tackle spot, where he can use his lower-body balance and foot quickness to handle speed in pass pro, while still displacing defenders in the run game. Moore saw the value of winning the edges in Philadelphia last season, and he could build up front in New Orleans."
Membou, who just turned 21, started at right tackle in each of the last three years at Mizzou. He didn't allow a sack this season and has faced the best pass rushers in college football's best conference. And he's obviously a high-end athlete. He didn't complete agility drills but the work he did put in earned a 9.90 Relative Athletic Score, which ranks 16th out of 1,500 offensive tackles to enter the league since 1987. That's impressive. He would be a Day 1 starter for New Orleans and likely would be a big upgrade at the right tackle spot.
So where would it leave Penning? Probably looking for a new team. The Saints are unlikely to pick up his fifth-year option by the May deadline and guarantee him $16.6 million for 2026. They have made it clear he won't move again to left guard after beginning to find his way playing on the right side. If they draft his replacement the team could keep Penning around for depth and let him walk away in free agency next offseason, or maybe see if one of the teams that was high on him before the draft is willing to trade a pick for him. Either way, that would be a disappointing end to his Saints tenure. Finding competition and alternative options at right tackle should be a priority in the draft, but maybe not at the expense of more pressing needs. We'll just have to see if Penning figures into the plans for Kellen Moore and Co.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2025 NFL draft: ESPN likes as best fit for Mizzou RT Armand Membou
