Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Mekhi Becton Clarifies His Natural Position on Twitter
For those wanting New York Jets' bookend Mekhi Becton to flip over to the right tackle spot, the former first-round draft pick has a message for you.
Becton took to Twitter early Saturday morning to say, "I. AM. A. LEFT. TACKLE!!!"
The 6-foot-7 oft-injured offensive lineman is heading into the final season of his rookie contract after the Jets declined to exercise the fifth-year option earlier this week. Becton’s fifth-year price tag, which is based upon criteria included in the current NFL CBA, was set at $13,565,000.
With veteran Duane Brown back in the fold for 2023 and the drafting of Pitt left tackle Carter Warren, some have speculated Becton could return from injury and take reps at right tackle. Apparently, the former Louisville product is not interested.
Becton earned vocal praise from Jets' head coach Robert Saleh during a press conference on Friday.
"He looks good. He looks fantastic, really," said Saleh, who highlighted Becton's offseason work.
"He’s attacking this offseason the right way and I’m excited for him," said Saleh.
Becton has primarily been listed as a left tackle, but he has played in only 15 games since being drafted by Gang Green in 2020. He showed promise as a rookie, but the former No. 11 overall pick has appeared in only one NFL game in the past two years.
After missing the final 16 games of the 2021 season, the 6-foot-7 bookend was lost for all of 2022 when sustained a knee injury in August.
Jets' Offensive Tackles
77 - Mekhi Becton
76 - Duane Brown
61 - Max Mitchell
70 - Cedric Ogbuehi
64- Greg Senat
54 - Billy Turner
READ MORE:
Jets' Rookie Minicamp Day 1 Quotes
No Fifth-Year Option for Bookend Mekhi Becton
Albert Breer Highlights 'Good Sign' for Rodgers and Jets
