The New York Jets selected former Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton with the 11th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, getting a perfect fit for their biggest need on offense.
Becton was one of four elite offensive tackle prospects in this class. He was firmly entrenched in the debate of which tackle would be the first one off the board alongside Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr., Georgia’s Andrew Thomas and Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs. The Jets were surely thrilled to land at Becton where they did.
Becton absolutely turned heads at the combine when he ran the 40-yard dash in 5.10 seconds. Simply put, offensive tackles that weight in at 364 pounds are not supposed to move that fast.
Becton is a phenomenal prospect on tape with incredibly nimble feet. He’s very smooth in pass protection and doesn’t over-set himself against speed rushers. He’s incredibly aware of what’s going on around him at all times. Becton is blessed with 35-inch arms. That’s the type of length that offensive line coaches dream of when they think of their ideal tackles.
As you may expect with such a massive human, Becton’s upper body power is absolutely devastating. His punch and extension absolutely stunned defenders at the collegiate level. His power should translate well to the next level.
The Becton pick made sense for so many reasons. Jets quarterback Sam Darnold has shown some flashes of becoming a stellar quarterback, but the team needed to upgrade the protection in front of him. Big-time running back Le’Veon Bell also had a difficult time finding space to operate from behind a poor O-line in 2019. The selection of Becton should go a long way towards fixing both of those issues.
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