Becton One of Two Jets' Bookends on Shelf
It's hard to battle for a job when stuck on the sidelines.
New York Jets' bookend Mekhi Becton shared visions of manning the left tackle spot in 2023, but the former first-round draft pick is still working his way back into form after missing two seasons due to knee injuries.
"He is still working through his pitch count," said head coach Robert Saleh after the team's first padded practice since kicking off training camp.
Becton, who was removed from team drills at one point during Tuesday's inaugural padded session, was a non-participant for Practice No. 6 on Wednesday.
"Mekhi's knee just wasn't up for it today, so we just held him back," said Saleh. "It's going to be more day-to-day, but hopefully we can get him back out there tomorrow."
Incumbent starter Duane Brown was not available Wednesday, either. The 16th-year pro remains on the Active/PUP list as he nears completion in his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery.
Brown made 12 starts while dealing with a torn rotator cuff in 2022. He's not expected to be out much longer.
As for Becton, the fourth-year pro hasn't appeared in a regular season game since the 2021 opener.
"We're trying to pace it, trying to get him back up to full speed where he can play an entire game," said Saleh. "We're just working with him, the doctors, our training staff and coaches, just trying to make sure we do the best we can to get him ready to play."
Becton, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, showed potential in 14 games as a rookie, but lack of availability moving forward has stunted his development.
With Brown holding the incumbency advantage at left tackle, Becton entered training camp in a battle for starting reps. In the absence of Brown and Becton, veteran Billy Turner and second-year pro Max Mitchell are seeing an increased workload with the first team.
Former Patriots' third-round pick Yodny Cajuste, who signed with Gang Green after being released by New England, was also a prominent member of the offensive tackle rotation on Wednesday in Florham Park.
In terms of identifying the starters, Saleh is taking a wait-and-see approach and the third-year head coach will place an importance on performance during the Jets' scheduled joint practices with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers.
"I don’t want to put timelines on it because you still got Tampa, we got Carolina," said Saleh. "There’s a lot of things that we’ve got to go through and there’s a lot of games left, but those inner squad scrimmages with Carolina and Tampa I think are going to be a big measuring stick. We got a lot of time left."
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