Having drafted LT Mekhi Becton with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2020 draft, the Jets were surely hoping that the Louisville product would not be fighting for his job after two seasons in the NFL. But according to head coach Robert Saleh, that’s the situation that Becton finds himself in. Saleh recently told reporters, including Brian Costello of the New York Post, that Becton and George Fant will be competing for the starting left tackle position (Twitter link).
New York signed Fant to a three-year, $27.3MM contract in March 2020, and he had a disappointing first season in New York, playing on the right side of the line and finishing as Pro Football Focus’ 64th-best tackle out of 79 qualifiers. The Jets brought in veteran Morgan Moses last May with the assumption that he would serve as Becton’s bookend and push Fant to a swing tackle role, but Fant put together a good training camp and surprisingly held onto his RT post.
Then, Becton suffered a dislocated knee cap in Week 1 of the 2021 campaign, which forced the Jets to shift Fant to LT. The former Seahawks UDFA thrived, allowing just 18 pressures in his 15 games, third-fewest in the league. Becton, meanwhile, never got back onto the field. Though his injury was a serious one, conditioning problems appeared to complicate his recovery, which was not the first time that Becton had run into weight-related issues.
Becton is listed at 6-7 and 363 pounds, though he reportedly played at a higher weight than that as a rookie. And Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network hears that Becton was actually over 400 pounds by the time the 2021 season ended. Pauline also writes that the competition that Saleh referenced will not be much of a competition at all, and that Fant has been told the job is his to lose.
In fact, Pauline reports that the Jets are working on an extension for Fant, who will turn 30 in July and who is entering his contract year. Another season like the one he put together in 2021 could catapult him to top-tier LT money, and Gang Green may want to lock him in before that happens.
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, however, says there have been no extension talks with Fant. Cimini does confirm that the organizational concern with Becton is “very real,” and while the Jets are not going to part ways with him at this point, they want to see him committed to dropping weight this offseason. There is a good chance that the club will keep Fant at LT and move Becton to RT — which would perhaps obviate the need to draft a player like Alabama OT Evan Neal — but New York has also not foreclosed the possibility of re-signing Moses.
Good thing they drafted him over Tristan Wirfs
Revisionist’s history. At the time, it was essentially a toss-up between the 2 for most experts
This is how things happen which is why you need 5 years to evaluate a top drafted player. In his rookie year people were saying the Jets got a top 5 LT and the Giants drafted a bust in Thomas. Now a year later it’s turned with people looking at Thomas as a future top 5 LT and Becton being the bust. Let’s wait until the end of the 4 years to see which turns out to be which.
I think that’s more true of offensive linemen than other prospects, these days. Fant was so raw that he still had developing to do. But in Becton’s case, it might be more a case of whether he can stay healthy and in shape than anything.
It’s a Jets thing. Once a player hears their name on draft day, they begin to consult with a psychic to see how screwed they are and begin to save for early retirement.
Glad the Giants got Thomas instead.
Damn I’m not keen enough on offensive line play to evaluate these guys more than casually … but is Bechton really this bad??!! I thought his career was off to a really good start and he just got hurt last year?
I know everybody hates them but his PFF grade has been really good when he’s healthy. I think this honestly is a nothing-burger story. Like the Lawerence and Minshew starting battle.
His play when he’s taken the field isn’t the concern. He acquitted himself very nicely as a rookie.
Is Becton eating himself out of the league? I hope not but it’s happened before. Fant is a good player so it’s not as if Becton is facing inferior competition, but this is still not a good sign.
This seems like a real nothing new article.
They drafted Becton to be LT and Fant was at RT. Becton had a decent first season and Fang sucked. Then Becton got injured and Fant did amazing at LT. Now it looks likely Becton will play RT when fit and Fant stay at LT.
Just makes sense and isn’t really that big of a deal.
Yeah, Fant did surprisingly well after they signed Moses to take his job before last year. If Becton can stay in the lineup, I assume LT is still his.
I remember There was talk of taking Ruggs with that pick
Never heard that even once. Jeudy or Lamb would have made more sense, but I think most people thought Douglas was going tackle.