Alex Lewis calls Mekhi Becton 'The Big Wall of Green' and praises the rookie's ability to learn
First, it was a review from New York Jets head coach Adam Gase, who raved about first round pick Mekhi Becton’s physique. Then it was Jets offensive lineman Alex Lewis, who sounded a similar sense of awe when talking about the massive rookie offensive lineman.
Lewis, a guard who re-signed with the Jets this offseason, projects as the only carryover player from last year’s offensive line who will start this offseason. When talking about Becton, the No. 11 pick who should be a Week 1 starter at either tackle position, Lewis was clearly impressed. He started off by describing the sheer size of the Jets rookie offensive tackle.
“I call that rookie ‘The Big Wall of Green.’ He’s massive,” Lewis said Thursday on a conference call with the media.
“He’s 6-8 and 360 [pounds] and he looks great. I’m excited to see what he can do when we put pads on. I know he’s coming in, he’s quiet, as a rookie should be. He’s a sponge, he’s soaking up everything we’re telling him. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do.”
Last year, Lewis had career-highs in games and starts. He was acquired by the Jets in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens right before the start of the season.
As the most experienced returning player on the Jets offensive line – all the other projected starters for Week 1 are either free agents or a rookie, there will be an additional responsibility for Lewis to help bridge the understanding of the group. In particular, Lewis, who plays left guard, will need to help Becton get caught up to speed if the rookie wins the starting left tackle job.
“As a rookie, the game is very fast, everybody goes through that adjustment, the speed of the game, the speed of players. My job, I don’t want to carry an extra burden, I am just there to help him along when it comes to the mental aspect,” Lewis said on Thursday’s call.
“You don’t want him thinking too much and playing slow. If I can be out there, dialing in all of the calls so it is not a whole lot of thinking, that’s what I want to do. I think everyone has taken that ownership along the OLine. We want to play fast, we want to play physical.”
When asked if he has every had a teammate with similar physical attributes, Lewis likened Becton to his former teammate with the Ravens, Orlando Brown, Jr. The right tackle is 6-foot-8 and 345 pounds. He made the Pro Bowl last year in his second season in the NFL.
On Wednesday, Jets head coach Adam Gase, not prone to hyperbole or exaggeration, also echoed similar sentiments of praise.
“Seeing him and – it is hard to say it – I want to say lean but I mean the guy is a big man. He did a great job of sticking with the program and what he was doing in the offseason all through the summer. At the end of the day, you’re looking at a 370-pound man,” Gase said the conference call.
“He is one of the biggest players I’ve ever been around. The way that he is built, he’s always just going to look big. He is lean. But I mean he’s a big man. I’m excited to get him on the field. Get him going against our defensive guys. There will be a learning curve there because once he kind of starts seeing how these guys will use their stunts and the way the fronts change and the calls. But with him playing tackle, there are less moving parts than if he was playi
