Mekhi Becton looks to be in good shape as he sharpens footwork at left tackle in new workout video
New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton continues to get his offseason work in with trainer and offensive line guru Duke Manyweather in Dallas, Texas. The Jets began their voluntary offseason workout program at the team facility in New Jersey on April 18 but Becton is one of the players who chose to continue working on their own.
Becton seems to be coming along nicely. In a video posted to Manyweather’s Instagram story on May 5, Becton appears slim as he works on dropping into pass-sets from a left tackle alignment.
Mekhi Becton is looking strong and healthy working with one of the best Oline coaches in the business. 🔥👀@BigDuke50 pic.twitter.com/9D5DDxet7O
— Optimistic Jets (@OptimisticJets) May 5, 2022
Becton is preparing to compete with George Fant for the team’s starting left tackle role. Head coach Robert Saleh declared the competition in early February.
Fant took Becton’s place on the blindside after Becton suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 of the 2021 season, and he went on to enjoy a fantastic season in pass protection. Giving up just 18 pressures over 594 pass-blocking snaps, Fant yielded a pressure rate of 3.03%, the third-best rate among all left tackles in the NFL.
Becton is seeking to build off a promising rookie season in which he showed the potential to become an elite tackle. Over the final seven weeks of 2020, Becton earned the ninth-best pass-blocking grade and the 10th-best run-blocking grade among qualified left tackles at Pro Football Focus. He was just 21 years old at the time.
Prior to the 2022 NFL draft, rumors circulated claiming that the Jets could select Becton’s future replacement. The weekend’s outcome quelled those rumblings.
With the fourth overall pick, the Jets had a chance to draft either of the top two offensive tackle prospects in the class – NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu or Alabama’s Evan Neal – but they passed on both players in favor of Cincinnati cornerback Sauce Gardner. The Jets wound up not selecting an offensive tackle until they took Louisiana’s Max Mitchell in round four, making it clear that Becton is an integral part of the team’s plans going forward.
Becton and Fant’s primary backups are Mitchell, Conor McDermott, and Chuma Edoga; not an inspiring group. The lack of depth all but ensures that Becton and Fant will be the team’s Week 1 starting tackles (health permitting). The only question that’s left to answer is who will start on which side.
Speaking after the draft about Becton’s absence from the facility, Saleh expressed that he and the team would prefer for Becton to be in Florham Park but that they are staying in touch with him and are pleased with the work he is doing.
“I mean, you want all your guys to be here,” Saleh said. “It’s voluntary. But I know he’s working his tail off in Dallas and we have tabs on him. We know exactly what he’s doing and we know where he is within his rehab.”
Saleh then jokingly looked at the camera and said, “We’d love you back here, buddy! Come on. We’ll take care of you.”
Robert Saleh says Mekhi Becton is "working his tail off" in Dallas:
"We'd love you back here, buddy! Come on. We'll take care of you." 😂 pic.twitter.com/V8QxTQwZT5
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) April 30, 2022
The earliest we could see Becton in Jersey is when the Jets begin OTAs on May 23 (which run through June 10). However, those are voluntary. New York’s first mandatory event for veteran players is the three-day veteran minicamp from June 14-16.