Tag: University of Louisville

The start of something new: Mekhi Becton explains why he wants to wear No. 77 with Jets

Jets rookie Mekhi Becton wanted to try something new in deciding to wear No. 77.

Jets rookie Mekhi Becton wants to start his NFL career with a brand new number.

Becton wore No. 73 at Louisville and No. 70 in high school. However, he doesn’t want to wear either of those numbers now that he’s a pro. Part of that has to do with No. 73 being retired for Jets Ring of Honor member Joe Klecko. As for No. 70, Becton didn’t feel very comfortable in it. So now he’s hoping to give No. 77 a shot.

“I wanted to try something new,” Becton told reporters Monday. “I didn’t feel right in 70, that’s my high school number. And then 73 is retired. So I feel like 77 is just a different journey, a new journey to start.”

Becton made the request to wear No. 77 but has yet to receive word if he’s secured it.

“I’ve talked to Joe Douglas about it. I told him that I wanted to wear 77,” Becton said. “I don’t know if I got it yet or not.”

Five Jets have worn No. 77, but the number hasn’t carried much weight. The most notable player to wear No. 77 for Gang Green was Kris Jenkins, who wore it for three seasons. Randy Thomas, Kenny Neil, Carl Barzilauskas and James Carpenter have also had No. 77.

Becton has a chance to make No. 77 a special number in Jets history. He was taken by the Jets with the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft and has a ton of upside.

At 6-foot-7, 364 pounds, Becton has all the physical assets to be an elite tackle. He just needs to improve upon his technique, both in the running and passing game. With some coaching and reps, that can be cleaned up.

Until then, Becton will have to wait it out until he gets his number choice approved by the Jets.

WATCH: Mekhi Becton makes virtual visits to Goryeb Children’s Hospital

Mekhi Becton virtually visited three children at Goryeb Children’s Hospital.

Even in quarantine, Mekhi Becton is making his presence known in the Jets community.

Becton recently made virtual visits with patients at Atlantic Health’s Goryeb Children’s Hospital. In the video, Becton spoke with three different kids: Jason, Eli and Larry.

They discussed a wide variety of topics that ranged from Becton’s 5.11-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine, him pushing a truck and Becton’s shoe size. At the end of each conversation, Becton promised the kids that he’d bring each of them to a Jets game once they began to feel better.

The Jets picked Becton with the 11th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of the University of Louisville. Becton will compete for the starting job at left tackle for the Jets in 2020.

5 things to know about new Jets OT Mekhi Becton

Here are five things to know about Jets first-round pick OT Mekhi Becton.

The first pick of the Joe Douglas era went as expected.

With the board falling in the Jets’ favor, they went with an offensive lineman that can play both tackle positions in Mekhi Becton. Becton was the only one of the top offensive tackles to visit the Jets multiple times in the pre-draft process before visits were shut down due to the pandemic.

Becton comes in at 6-foot-7, 364 pounds. At that listed weight, he will be the second-heaviest player in the NFL now that he was drafted by Gang Green.  Only the Raiders’ Trent Brown (380 pounds) is heavier.

Becton is a mauler in the run game. He is an excellent fit for the outside-zone running scheme that the Jets want to establish with Le’Veon Bell and he has the arm length and leverage to complement his size.

With that said, let’s get to know the Jets’ newest first-round pick.

Big-Bodied

(AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Mekhi Becton has always been big.

The new Jets left tackle played his final season at Louisville at 352 pounds and showed up to the NFL Combine measuring at 6-foot-7, 364 pounds. Long before that, playing youth football, opposing coaches and parents wanted to see his birth certificate before games when he was about 10. He only got bigger, enjoying a five-inch growth spurt in his formative teenage years.

When he finally steps foot on the field for the Jets, he’ll be one of the biggest offensive linemen in the NFL, but he’s quite nimble for his size.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

WATCH: Highlights of new Jets OT Mekhi Becton

Chek out these highlights of new Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton.

The New York Jets have found their man to protect Sam Darnold’s blindside in Louisville’s Mekhi Becton.

Becton is the one of the biggest players in this year’s draft standing at 6-foot-7, 364 pounds. A former basketball player, he’s also a freak athlete who ran a 5.1-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Becton can play both tackle spots, as he started 12 games last season for Louisville with 10 games at left tackle and two games at right tackle. The biggest concerns with Becton entering the draft were his weight and his flagged drug test at the combine, but Jets officials obviously didn’t make much of either.

Here are some highlights from Becton’s Louisville career:

Jets trade up for a tackle in CBS Sports’ latest mock draft

CBS Sports has the Jets trading up to No. 8 for Louisville offensive lineman Mekhi Becton in their latest mock draft.

CBS Sports’ latest mock draft has the Jets moving up and selecting a big body to protect Sam Darnold.

Josh Edwards of CBS Sports has the Jets making a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for the eighth overall pick in the draft. Edwards has the Jets trading the 11th pick and a 2020 third-round pick in order to move up for Louisville offensive lineman Mekhi Becton.

Here is Edwards’ explanation for the move:

New York looks at the teams sitting 8-9-10 and decides they should nab one of those offensive tackles before a run occurs. Becton is off the board in exchange for No. 11 overall and a 2020 third-round pick. They have two third-round picks following an in-season trade of Leonard Williams.

With as many needs as the Jets have, it’s hard to see them trading away assets to move up a couple of spots in the draft. The Jets wil likely need an offensive lineman in the draft, but they don’t need to trade up to get one. This draft is full of offensive lineman that all have a similar skill sets.

Becton is ranked fourth at his position by CBS Sports and 16th overall.

Becton can play either tackle position and is a force in the running game. The major concern with Becton is his weight (369 pounds), which affects his abilities in pass protection. However, that’s something that can be lowered when he enters an NFL training facility. If he can lower his weight, it’ll allow him to be quicker on his feet.

Jets pick Louisville OL Mekhi Becton in Todd McShay’s post-Super Bowl mock

With four offensive linemen already off the board, the Jets opt for Louisville’s Mekhi Becton is Todd McShay’s second mock draft of 2020.

In Todd McShay’s latest mock draft, the Jets take a plug-and-play tackle and break tradition in the process.

In his second prediction of the first-round, New York breaks its 13-year drought of not taking an offensive lineman in the first round. McShay has the Jets taking Louisville OT Mekhi Becton with the 11th pick. In this mock, Alabama’s Jedrick Willis Jr., Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs and Houston’s Josh Jones are already off the board, leaving Joe Douglas to pick between Becton and Georgia’s Andrew Thomas.

Here’s McShay’s explanation for the pick:

This is another clear mix of need and value. First, the Jets allowed 52 sacks in 2019, the fourth-most in the NFL. Second, left tackle Kelvin Beachum is a free agent. Becton and that massive 6-foot-7 frame would not only help protect Sam Darnold’s blindside but also spark a Le’Veon Bell-led run game that never took off, finishing 31st in the league (78.6 yards per game), ahead of only the Dolphins. It makes a ton of sense, but don’t be surprised to see the Jets kick the offensive line problem down the road in favor of finding an impact pass-rusher or shutdown cornerback. The problem is finding one outside the top 10.

McShay, who knows Douglas from when the two were teammates at the University of Richmond, hinted that there’s a possibility that the Jets could pick a pass-rusher or cornerback. Obviously, that’s a possibility for Gang Green that cannot be overlooked, with there being 10 teams picking in front of them.

Becton has been a fast-rising player, especially because of his size, standing at 6-foot-7, 360 pounds. He’s an athletic blocker with the size, length and skill to become a top offensive lineman.

The Lousiville product’s footwork and lateral movement for his size is pretty impressive, as well as the power he shows off. He is a power-mover in the run-game. He has the feet to stay at left tackle but needs to keep his weight in check.