Would it be best for both sides if the Jets trade Mekhi Becton?
Blewett’s Blitz Live is back for another special New York Jets offseason episode that digs into the impending free agency and NFL draft season.
This time, however, a big question is laid out on the table …
Should Joe Douglas trade Mekhi Becton?
Becton, 22, is coming off a season that saw him play just a piece of one game. Becton’s knee was rolled up on and it cost him the entire season.
Had the injury actually been a season-ender, nobody would bat an eye. But the problem arrives when thinking about the rehab process and prognostications that came with the initial injury.
What turned into a month or two absence eventually sidelined the Louisville product for the entire season. That misfortune, coupled with George Fant’s emergence at left tackle, has led to Douglas’s first-ever NFL draft pick igniting furious debates among Jets fan circles.
Are the Jets truly unhappy with their first-round pick of 2020?
Will Becton have no problem in keeping off the weight as the years go on?
Would it be foolish to rely on the kid as the franchise’s left tackle?
So many questions remain with very few concrete answers existing. At the very least, what we know is this: Robert Saleh has no problem in proclaiming “competition” at the left tackle position—when thinking about the 2022 summer.
In that case, what’s the right move? Should New York simply let Becton and Fant battle it out in July and August, or should Douglas seek value in another NFL team that wants to take a shot on the No. 11 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft?
Blewett’s Blitz breaks that all-important question (and much more) down on the most recent edition of the podcast (live stream version).
Watch it on Jets X-Factor’s official YouTube, Twitter or Facebook.
Audio Version available to members only: Learn more here
What I saw that stuck out most was “age 22” he is a kid…a kid with unbelievable talent and power when healthy and keeping his weight in check.
The article made its own case. If Bechton can’t get it done, we have Fant. Besides, what’s the return? A 4th rounder? I’d rather bet on Mechai maturing with competition for the first time…most likely in his football life.
If someone offered a 2nd rounder in the top half of the draft, then you must consider it.
Bechton is controlled for 3 more years. It takes a top 45 pick to even consider it
Hey Joe, yeah we should trade becton and get a proven LT in terron armstead.
Without having watched the video (yet), I’ll attest to this much: Becton, for all of his talent, has yet to demonstrate dominance as a blindside protector and, quite frankly, leaves much to be desired from a self-discipline standpoint. How does any PROFESSIONAL football player come into TC out of shape? They have ONE job and they get paid millions for dedication to their craft.
That said, when healthy, the young man can be an absolute mauler in the run game. To that end, it behooves the Jets to develop the player to both the potential of his ability and to bring a sense of professionalism to his mindset. These two factors should mitigate to some degree Becton’s durability issues.
In the case of George Fant, while a competition at LT should see the cream rise to the top, the competition Fant faced in the Jets’ 2021 opposing teams’ edge rushers in did not run the gamut of the NFL’s who’s who. At best, they were serviceable; at worst, they could have just been JAGs. This is why it is of great import that Joe Douglas drafts OL Ikem Ekwonu at 4 this April.
This would provide the Jets a safety valve in the event that Becton or Fant prove incapable of ensuring Zach Wilson remains upright in passing situations against their 2022 opponents’ best edge rushers. Ekwonu’s versatility allows the Jets to have Fant and Becton battle it out for the starting LT position, move the “loser” to RT and provide an upgrade at the RG spot this year. Though, it should not prevent them from re-signing LDT if/when his post-NFL career issue is resolved.
In the event, that Becton isn’t viable at LT or Fant’s “breakout” was more a product of inferior 2021 competion and not so much his development as a “premiere” LT, then Ekwonu could potentially be an upgrade at LT over both. At this point, Becton might just find better success as a RT where the edge competition is not often elite. In 2023, when Fant’s contact is up, Ekwonu can slide right in at LT and bookend Becton on the right side. There’s no need to look to unload a literal massive talent in Becton this early in his career. With proper development and maturity he still has time to show he can be dominant on either side. The Jets should let Becton compete at LT in 2022, but they should also have the wherewithal to draft a contingency plan for 2023.
He’ll no. First what return would there be??? Very low. Second he played well as a rookie, room for improvement sure but played well. Three. He came into camp in shape and the injury was Van Royen’s fault. Four. let them battle it out. Pretty much no one a 4 win team should feel guaranteed a starting spot. And as last year showed us having 2 people who can play left tackle well is a huge plus. Loser starts at right tackle and can play left if needed.
So he can mess up on the right side? Becton had no answer for Lawson in TC and now you throw him on the right side? Look at the 1st game he played, he was so out of position AVT was making him look good. Trade Becton could draft Ike at 4 and sauce at 10 if he’s still there.
Let Fant and Avt build in last year’s success on the left. Sign a vet Like Tomlinson or Norwell for RG and let them build a wall on the right with Becton. Today’s game the RT has to deal with some serious edge rushers also
Whether its the left side or right side, the kid cant stop a nose bleed. TC carl lawson owned becton until he got hurt and well into the season before he went down he was god awful. Trade becton and put an anchor like terron armstead on the left. So as follows…Arstead LT/AVT LG/C/Laken tomlinson RG/Fant RT
So why put Becton on the right side if he couldn’t do anything on the left?