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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Will Missouri football produce two first-round NFL draft picks? Could one former Tiger wind up inside the top 10? This is the week to find out.

This year’s NFL draft, which starts Thursday in Green Bay, Wisconsin, has produced significant interest in two Mizzou products — though their stocks have diverged in different directions since the end of the 2024 season.

Offensive tackle Armand Membou has enjoyed a steady rise up draft boards due to his clean collegiate blocking performances, positional versatility and young age. Wide receiver Luther Burden III, meanwhile, has slid in rankings as analysts and front offices ponder what to make of his decline in production last season.

On the opposite end of the draft, players like defensive end Johnny Walker Jr. and quarterback Brady Cook are hoping to be among the players who hear their names called during any of the seven rounds.

Where will these Mizzou products be taken in the NFL draft? Here’s what experts are saying:

Membou to the Jets?

There’s a good chance Membou will become the highest-drafted MU product since Aldon Smith went seventh overall in 2011.

A consensus ranking of players assembled by NFL analyst Arif Hasan pins Membou as the seventh-best player in the pool, based on how draft analysts as a whole view him. And pick No. 7, held by the New York Jets, is a popular prediction.

ESPN’s Field Yates projects the Jets to take Membou there.

“The Jets must provide new quarterback Justin Fields with adequate time to throw — he has proved effective in the past when he has a clean pocket,� he wrote. “Membou's tenacity and pass protection acumen make him a hand-in-glove fit in New York.�

And while tight end is arguably a bigger need for the Jets, draft analysts seem to think the franchise would be better served to grab Membou early and sort out his specific position later.

“I considered (Penn State tight end) Tyler Warren here, but the Jets can get a tight end later,” wrote ’s Eric Edholm, who also projects Membou to New York at No. 7. “They'd have less success attempting to find a starting right tackle with Membou's upside after this pick.”

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler is also in the Membou-to-the-Jets camp, though Pro Football Focus’ latest mock draft has the tackle going to the Chicago Bears at No. 10. On the lower end of projections, The Ringer projects Membou to the Miami Dolphins with the 13th overall pick.

While Membou is likely to give Missouri first-round picks in back-to-back drafts after defensive end Darius Robinson went to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 27 overall last year, he probably won’t take the title of highest-drafted Mizzou player ever in the modern draft era. That sits with Justin Smith, who went fourth to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2001.

Burden sliding out of first round?

A year ago, it didn’t seem all that crazy to wonder whether Burden would be the first player selected in 2025. Now, it’s up for debate as to whether he goes in the first round at all.

Hasan’s consensus board pegs Burden as the 29th-best player in the eyes of draft analysts at large and the fourth-best wide receiver behind Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka and Texas’ Matthew Golden.

Fair or not, Burden’s output dipping in his last season of college football has changed the way he’s viewed by the NFL.

Though PFF’s mock draft has the New Orleans Saints trading up to grab Burden at No. 24 overall, most mock drafts have him outside the first round.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper projects the Jacksonville Jaguars to select Burden at No. 36 overall, which would be the fourth pick of the second round.

“Burden has juice after the catch, and he'd help Trevor Lawrence in that department,� Kiper wrote. “This is good value, too — Burden could ultimately go in Round 1.�

His ESPN colleague, Jordan Reid, penciled in Burden one spot earlier, to the Tennessee Titans at No. 35 overall.

“Burden is the ideal WR2 to Calvin Ridley in Tennessee's offense,� Reid wrote. “His production slipped in 2024, with inconsistent QB play being a major factor. The Titans would get a receiver who some scouts think has Round 1 talent at the top of the second round. Burden is a physical route runner who also has great run-after-catch ability.�

If Burden does go in the first round — and assuming there’s no out-of-left-field skid for Membou — the Tigers would have two first-round selections for the first time since 2011, when Smith and Blaine Gabbert both went inside the top 10.

Cook, Walker pushing for Day 3 spots

There are no guarantees when it comes to the latter rounds of the draft, but Cook and Walker both have the makings of potential Day 3 picks.

Cook came in as the 13th quarterback on Hasan’s consensus board, which is good for No. 275 overall. Given that there are only 257 draft picks, that would be undrafted free agent territory — the kind of deal that several MU players will likely sign.

Walker didn’t make the consensus board, but ESPN’s Reid projects the Dolphins to select him at No. 231 overall. PFF projects Walker to the Dallas Cowboys also in the seventh round, at No. 247.

Tigers add versatile OL in portal

Missouri bolstered one of the positions it was expected to this offseason, bringing in offensive tackle Jaylen Early on Tuesday via the transfer portal.

Early will transfer from Florida State, where he spent three seasons and earned a starting role during the 2024 season. He'll have two years of eligibility to use with the Tigers.

Early was on the field for 309 snaps in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. He spent 177 at right tackle, 117 at right guard and 15 at left tackle — suggesting he'll bring some helpful versatility to a Mizzou offensive line that is still coming together.

Early could conceivably compete for both the right guard and left tackle spots — with the latter being MU's biggest need on the line.

In 180 pass blocking situations last season, Early allowed 13 quarterback pressures, two of which were sacks.