Sam Crnic breaks down NCAA All-22 film of the New York Jets’ two offensive line selections in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Training camp is finally here.
With his first full offseason in the books, Joe Douglas is looking to build this rebranded Jets team from the inside out. This starts with the NFL Draft. Douglas received substantial praise for his ability to maximize value during the Draft, addressing many positions of need from offensive line to cornerback.
I’ll be digging into the College All-22 film of each Jets draft pick, something few websites have access to. The film clips will display certain strengths and weaknesses to give an idea of what to expect from the new guys.
Let’s dive in.
Offensive Line
The Jets have not addressed the offensive line in the first round since 2006. In 2019, the Jets had one of the worst offensive line units in recent history due to neglecting to draft or sign talent upfront for more than a decade. Being a former offensive lineman himself, Joe Douglas knew the severity of the matter. It was essential to attack this early on, Sam Darnold‘s development and health depended on it. Even with the addition of Connor McGovern, George Fant, and Greg Van Roten in free agency, it was obvious that the job was not done.
Today, we’ll be looking at the two offensive line draft picks, Mekhi Becton and Cameron Clark.
Mekhi Becton
- Hometown: Highland Springs, Virginia
- High School: Highland Springs High School
- Position: LT
- School: Louisville
- Height: 6’7
- Weight: 364 lbs
A towering offensive lineman from Louisville, Mekhi Becton represents everything the Jets needed so desperately: physicality, leadership, and boasting with confidence. Along with his 6’7 frame, he possesses a 7-foot wingspan; spectacular length for a tackle. Given his abnormal length and quickness, Becton was also a talented basketball player in high school, one of the top centers in his conference.
Film
Off the snap, Becton (LT #73) takes a short two to three-inch lateral step with the foot on the side of the block. This first step opens up his hips, allowing Becton to quickly step across his body with the opposite foot. He uses this foot to forcibly drive into his man, powering him across the LOS laterally. He keeps his shoulders low and squares to open up a hole for his back. Unfortunately, there was not much space for the ball carrier to begin with.
Showcasing his violent brute strength, Becton throws his man off the LOS to create ample space. He takes a short, two-inch step with the foot closest to his man on the left side. It allows his head to get in front of the defender to stop penetration, and also allows him to open his hips, attacking the defender with a low, square strike. Mekhi brings his other foot quickly across his body, making sure to not narrow his base. This serves as the power step, where he then jams the palm of his inside hand into the defender, essentially throwing him to the side.
Angling his block to the outside, Becton gets beat with an inside swim move by his defender who makes his way towards the RB. It seems as though he starts too much to the outside, but there shouldn’t have been that much room on the inside for the defender. Regardless, the ball carrier manages to work his way to the sideline for a minimal gain.
As Becton moves across the line of scrimmage, he slides his feet, never crossing over. By doing this, he doesn’t give up ground, constantly maintaining a barrier between the rusher and his target area. On the shuffle, Becton also keeps his feet low to the ground, putting himself in a position to gather himself and strike the pass rusher when desired. He extends his arms, forcing his defender to move laterally instead of towards the QB. A staggeringly overpowering display from Becton, which we will see plenty of throughout this review.
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