FLORHAM PARK — It’s been a bumpy few years for Mekhi Becton and the New York Jets but it seems the former first-round pick is finally turning the corner in the eyes of his coaching staff.
“He’s (Becton) done a nice job. I’m pulling for him.” Jets head coach Robert Saleh said following Tuesday’s practice. “He’s worked so hard to drop his weight and get himself into shape. He’s just gotta learn to trust his knee and find a way to get comfortable with it.”
The left tackle has been placed on a play count to start training camp according to the coaching staff – a plan that was agreed upon before workouts had begun as the former Louisville Cardinal continues to get back into the swing of competitive football snaps.
It’s been two years since Becton has partaken in on-field action. In 2021, the tackle suffered cartilage damage in his knee during a game, which required surgery and ended his season. During the early portion of training camp in 2022, it was determined that Becton had an avulsion fracture of his right kneecap which cost him another season.
Becton’s knee could play a pivotal part in the Jets’ ability to protect newly acquired quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the pocket. New York has been impressed though by his work ethic during the offseason though. He’s dropped about 30 pounds in weight while keeping the right mindset in place as he works on fighting for the starting left tackle job while also getting back into the swing of things.
“It’s definitely been hard. A lot of people couldn’t walk a mile in my shoes, I can say that for sure. I never gave up, I never gave in, that’s the plus.“ Becton said before camp. “It was definitely a struggle, I was in a dark place mentally and physically at the time, but I broke through.”
While his head coach seems satisfied with the return to this point, Becton still has a long way to go to find success on the field. Over the first week of camp, he has struggled against speed rushers – something that plagued him even during his successful rookie campaign. Whether it has been current rookie Will McDonald IV, or Carl Lawson, it’s been an inconsistent start for Becton in his first healthy training camp since 2020.
The Jets know that bringing their former first-round pick back to NFL speed will take time. That’s why he’s currently working with the second team to start camp.
As practices continue though, the hope is that Becton will be able to show why he was drafted where he was all those years ago and be a stabilizing force in a much improved offensive line. It seems that trust will play a role in this as well.
For Becton to succeed, he’ll need to trust in his rehab, his coaches, and his knee. Time will tell if he’s able to do so.
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