Following the New York Jets’ 32-24 preseason win over the New York Giants, Jets head coach Robert Saleh has named Mekhi Becton the starting right tackle for Week 1.
A few weeks ago, Becton’s outlook was cloudy. The Jets weren’t sure if Becton could make it through practice at one point in camp, much less an entire season. The No. 11 pick of the 2020 NFL Draft started 13 games -- at left tackle -- as a rookie but only one the past two seasons combined.
"He’s doing all of the right stuff. He has a lot of energy. He’s speaking the right language. He has a lot of positive self-talk," Saleh said of Becton, via the team transcript. "He’s in the training room every day working on that knee and making sure that it’s always fresh and ready to roll. He just has to stay on it and he can’t get complacent with where he’s at now. He has a lot to play for. He has gotten better every single day. He has gotten more confident in his knee. He hasn’t played in two years, so for him, it’s just a matter of mastering his techniques and getting himself back into the flow of the game."
The Jets need all the help they could get. The offensive line has been a source of consternation in training camp, with various injuries preventing the Jets from lining up their preferred starting five.
After Max Mitchell failed to win the right tackle job, Becton returned to practice and started to work there. He played 25 snaps against the Bucs and was out there with the starters on Saturday night, protecting Aaron Rodgers’ blind side. After a rocky first series, Rodgers led the starting offense to a touchdown drive.
Assuming Becton is in the starting lineup Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, it would be his first regular-season action since Sept. 12, 2021. He has suffered two separate season-ending knee injuries in his brief career.