New York Jets Former First Round Pick Signs Deal With Philadelphia Eagles

Another former first round draft pick of the New York Jets has gone to a different team.

Jul 28, 2021; Florham Park, NJ, United States; New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton (77) / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets are coming out of the NFL draft feeling good about what they accomplished with their early round picks and filling out their roster with depth in the later rounds.

Selecting offensive tackle Olu Fashanu with their 11th overall pick and getting Aaron Rodgers another offensive weapon in the third round in Malachi Corley certainly helped.

Protecting their superstar quarterback is the most important thing this season after he only played four plays before tearing his Achilles tendon last year.

The Jets were able to address that need pretty rapidly this offseason by trading for Morgan Moses and signing Tyron Smith to be their tackles. However, both players are 33 years old and nearing the end of their careers.

They thought they had their long-term guy on the team in former first round draft pick Mekhi Becton, but they let him walk in free agency because of performance and injury issues that plagued him throughout his short career.

New York still felt it was in their best interest to not re-sign Becton and now he has found himself on a new team.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, he signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles that could be worth up to $5.5 million pending his physical that will occur on Monday.

The 11th overall pick in the 2020 draft had a great rookie season when he started 13 games and didn't get called for a single holding penalty, but he only played one game the following two years after suffering a right kneecap fracture and MCL damage in 2021, then suffering an avulsion fracture to that same knee in 2022.

Becton criticized the Jets for moving him to right tackle coming off his first injury, saying that his position change contributed to his second one.

He started all 16 games last season.

ESPN writer Rich Cimini says that the Eagles' offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland was impressed by his tape and now gets to work with the talented former first round pick.