Mekhi Becton is one of the winners of the 2023 NFL offseason. The former first-round pick missed most of the last two seasons with injuries, but the New York Jets are counting on him to play a significant role this year.
After Gang Green’s final preseason game on Saturday, head coach Robert Saleh told reporters that Becton is the Jets’ starter at right tackle.
New York Jets’ OL Is Rounding Into Form With Mekhi Becton at Right Tackle
Becton said earlier this offseason that he didn’t want to spend time at right tackle and blamed his ongoing knee injuries on New York’s coaching staff playing him out of position.
But he’s slowly come around to the idea. Becton came out of the Hall of Fame Game after only seven snaps after experiencing knee discomfort, but he rebounded and largely dominated over the rest of the preseason.
“He’s still got work to do,” Saleh said Saturday. “There’s a maintenance program that he’s gotta stay on, and he can’t get satisfied with it. He’s gotta stay diligent with making sure he’s ahead of the chains with regard to rehab and regen.
“But he’s doing all the right stuff. He’s got a lot of energies, he’s speaking the right language, he’s got a lot of positive self-talk. He’s in the training room every day working on that knee and making sure that it’s always fresh and ready to roll.”
Mekhi Becton 💪💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/jPRd94cp5H
— 𝙅𝙀𝙏𝙎 𝙈𝙀𝘿𝙄𝘼🛫 (@NYJets_Media) August 20, 2023
Aaron Rodgers has also taken a particular interest in Becton this summer. On Hard Knocks, Rodgers asked Becton to have lunch with him — which Becton said they eventually did.
“I’m really proud of him. As much as anybody on the team,” Rodgers said Saturday. “The way that Mekhi has grown this month has been really spectacular.
“I don’t know if you guys get the chance to talk to him a whole lot, but I just feel like his head is in a really good spot. And he feels like he’s part of it. He’s been playing really well. I don’t know what the film is going to show, but it felt like out there that he protected well.
“He’s a mountain of a man. He leads us out on the field. It’s like old-school battles when you send your biggest guy out first, and here’s Mekhi leading us on the field. It’s pretty cool.”
Jets’ OL Depth Chart
The Jets’ offensive line has been a hot topic of discussion all summer, but the unit finally appears to be reaching its final form.
Becton’s ascendance has been critical, but so is the recent return of Duane Brown, who spent most of training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
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Brown hasn’t played in the preseason, but he’s still expected to be New York’s starting left tackle if he’s available in Week 1. The 37-year-old said he was “encouraged” by his Thursday practice performance, marking his first summer live contact.
The Jets’ interior OL hasn’t caused as much consternation as their offensive tackle situation, but there have been questions, especially at center.
Second-rounder Joe Tippman was initially expected to compete for New York’s starting center role, but he’s been mostly an afterthought. Saleh said the battle would come down to holdover Connor McGovern and free agent signing Wes Schweitzer. McGovern started Saturday’s game along with the rest of the Jets’ first-team offense (sans Brown), and it appears he’ll be holding onto his gig for another season.
Alijah Vera-Tucker remains New York’s best offensive lineman. He’ll be back at right guard after injuries elsewhere on the roster forced him to see action at left and right tackle. Fellow guard Laken Tomlinson wasn’t quite as productive in his first season with the Jets as he’d been near the end of his 49ers tenure, so New York is hoping for a rebound campaign.
Unlike recent seasons, the Jets actually have depth up front. Max Mitchell saw time at tackle last season, while Billy Turner has 75 NFL starts and experience in Nathaniel Hackett’s offensive system. Schweitzer and Tippman are around if anyone goes down along the interior.
AVT is the closest the Jets have to an elite offensive lineman, but they have competency everywhere up front and have baked in multiple contingencies to account for the sort of injury issues they faced last season. For a team with Super Bowl hopes, that level of depth could prove crucial as the year progresses.