Mekhi Becton seems to be at peace with his position switch with the New York Jets this season. The massive offensive lineman had been vocal before training camp that he’d prefer to play left tackle. But instead, Becton will start at right tackle in Week 1 when the Jets host the Buffalo Bills.
“Sometimes you’ve got to take a step back and put ego aside and just do what’s best for the team,” Becton explained. “I just want to be on that field with my teammates.”
The Jets selected Becton in the first round of the 2020 draft, believing they had their starting left tackle for the next decade. But he had trouble staying healthy and keeping his weight down as a rookie. And then Becton played one game the past two seasons because of knee issues.
The athletic 6-foot-8, 365-pound lineman arrived at training camp in the best shape of his career but was brought along slowly by the Jets. He played left tackle with the backups before moving to the right side with the first-team offense last week.
Coach Robert Saleh anointed Becton a Week 1 starter after the Jets defeated the New York Giants in their preseason finale Saturday.
“It was pretty cool,” Becton said. “It was a great moment, for sure, for me after all the work I put in these past two years.”
Mekhi Becton praised by Jets teammates during preseason
Veteran Duane Brown, who had offseason shoulder surgery, will start at left tackle for New York. Brown recently said Becton “has all the tools to be one of the best the game has ever seen.”
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is building a strong bond with Becton. He, too, showered praise on the 24-year-old this week.
“I mean, he’s come a long way. I’m really proud of him,” Rodgers said. “As much as anybody on the team. The way that Mekhi has grown this month has been really spectacular.”
Becton’s most recent NFL game — and start — was Week 1 of the 2021 season against the Carolina Panthers.