Denzel Mims
(Photo by Benjamin Solomon/Getty Images)

Each player has many areas to improve, but Joe Douglas’ 2020 draft class generally showed a lot of promise throughout its first season.

Mekhi Becton: Pass/run balance

The most impressive aspect of Mekhi Becton‘s rookie season was how instantly refined he looked in both phases of the game – not just as a run blocker. Becton’s dominance in the run game seemed like a shoo-in to translate over to the NFL level thanks to his gifted size and athleticism, but his pass protection was a major question mark. Coming from a Louisville scheme that heavily utilized play-action rollouts to minimize the difficulty of the offensive line’s pass-blocking assignments, it appeared possible that Becton may struggle in protection as a rookie.

That did not turn out to be the case. Becton flashed brightly in both phases. At Pro Football Focus, Becton earned a pass blocking grade of 76.0 and a run blocking grade of 73.8. Tristan Wirfs was the only other rookie tackle to post a 76+ pass blocking grade and a 73+ run blocking grade. Wirfs played right tackle for Tampa Bay – the last rookie left tackle to eclipse those two marks was Buffalo’s Dion Dawkins in 2017.

Becton allowed a total of one or zero pressures in 8 of his 14 games, and he posted a run blocking grade of 70+ (typically good enough for top 10 among left tackles in a given week) in seven of his 14 games.

It was simply remarkable how NFL-ready Becton looked in all aspects of the game. With some minor technical tweaks, perennial stardom could be in his near future.

Denzel Mims: Downfield explosiveness on a per-reception basis


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Michael Nania is one of the best analytical New York Jets minds in the world, combining his statistical expertise with game film to add proper context to the data. Nania scrapes every corner, ensuring you know all there is to know about everyone from the QB to the long snapper. Nania's Numbers, Nania's QB Grades, and Nania's All-22 give fans a deeper and more well-rounded dive into the Jets than anyone else can offer. Email: michael.nania[at]jetsxfactor.com - Twitter: @Michael_Nania
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Jim Franklin
Jim Franklin
2 years ago

thanks. 2021- can’t wait!