The Jets drafted Mekhi Becton in the first round of the 2020 draft with the hope that he’d be a foundational piece of their offense as a left tackle, but things haven’t gone exactly as planned thus far.
Becton took over as a starter right out of the gate and showed promise as a rookie, but a Week 1 knee injury caused him to miss the remainder of his second season. He’s also faced questions about his ability to stay in shape and his absence from the team’s offseason workouts provided little opportunity to see how he’s looking with his third year on the horizon.
On Wednesday, Jets head coach Robert Saleh didn’t get into discussions about Becton’s weight or overall fitness but said he expects him to be practicing in full when the team hits training camp this summer. He also said that the team still believes Becton can be a crucial piece of the puzzle on offense.
“We’re all aware of the talent that he possesses,” Saleh said, via SNY. “The size, the athleticism, the physicality. All of it. And he’s really smart . . . So, yeah, he’s important. If he takes care of his business like we know he can, he can be transcendent.”
While Saleh expressed optimism on that front, he offered no assurance that Becton will be at left tackle. George Fant took over that spot in his absence last year and the team will wait until training camp to determine how they’ll orient their line for the coming season.