Is Mekhi Becton's immediate future with the New York Jets at right tackle and not the blindside?
Very often, a rookie offensive tackle will play one year if not two years at right tackle before eventually being moved to the left side of the offensive line. In the case of Mekhi Becton, one NFL Draft insider doesn’t think that will be the case.
Not. At. All.
Left tackle can be a challenge for any offensive tackle, let alone a rookie charged with having to keep some of the league’s best pass rushers off the quarterback’s blindside. Acclimating at tackle is difficult enough for a rookie, let alone doing it at the most challenging position along the line.
For Becton, the Jets first round pick in this April’s NFL Draft, there may not be a year of assimilation and learning at right tackle. NFL Draft Bible founder Ric Serritella thinks that Becton gets thrown immediately into the fire.
When asked if he thinks that Becton and not free agent tackle George Fant starts on the left side, Serritella replied “Yes!”
“We’ve seen Fant have success on the right side, he is probably most comfortable and best-suited to stay there,” Serritella said. “Becton is truly a rare talent with his combination of size and speed and athleticism, along with the technical savvy to anchor the left tackle position from day one.”
Taken No. 11 overall, Becton had a tremendous NFL Combine and possesses an other-worldly blend of size, strength and speed. He couples this physical specimen with a proven college career at Louisville where, in 2019, he was All-ACC and named the conference’s top blocker.
The Jets, who had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last season according to both FootballOutsiders.com and Pro Football Focus, got a major upgrade in Becton. The first round pick projects as a decade long starter at left tackle with Pro Bowl potential.
