Former NY Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton is hoping to revitalize his career following an injury-riddled, disappointing four-year stint in Florham Park.
He found a new home on Sunday — and it might just be the best possible landing spot for him.
Becton has reportedly signed a one-year deal worth up to $5.5 million with the Philadelphia Eagles. The exact specifics of his contract aren’t clear, but it’s essentially a one-year prove-it deal for a swing tackle job.
No, Becton will not be starting for an Eagles offensive line that already has Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata at tackle, but he does join an extremely talented offensive line room coached by one of the best offensive line coaches in the NFL in Jeff Stoutland.
Becton’s camp reportedly prioritized “fit and situation” for the former first-round pick as they searched for his new team. You probably aren’t going to find a better situation for a young offensive lineman than the Eagles.
The Eagles are a perfect landing spot for former NY Jets OT Mekhi Becton
The 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Becton showed serious promise as a rookie, starting 13 games and looking every bit of an offensive building block for the Jets moving forward.
It’s easy to forget now, but Becton was viewed as one of the best young offensive linemen in the NFL following his rookie season. A spring 2021 poll of 50+ league executives, coaches, etc. had Becton ranked as the sixth-best offensive tackle in the entire NFL entering the 2021 season.
There was serious hype around the former Louisville standout. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his Jets career over the next two seasons.
Becton suffered a devastating knee injury in the first game of the 2021 season and re-injured the same knee in the summer of 2022. Combine that with supposed attitude/weight concerns and the coaching staff’s patience grew thin with the former rookie standout.
Becton got himself in the best shape of his career this past year, returning to the field and staying healthy for the first time since his rookie season. Unfortunately, though Becton started 16 of 17 games, his performance on the field left a lot to be desired.
The Virginia native led all offensive tackles with 12 sacks allowed and finished tied for third in penalties with 10. His 50 pressures allowed were also bottom-five among all tackles in the NFL.
The Eagles are clearly hoping to re-capture some of the magic from Becton’s rookie season with the hope that an improved supporting cast and coaching staff will be able to maximize his talents.
It also became increasingly clear by the end of his Jets tenure that a change of scenery was desperately needed. His issues with the Jets’ coaching staff, while mitigated in his final season with the team, never fully got resolved.
The Eagles are an ideal landing spot for Becton as he hopes to stay healthy and revitalize a career that was once incredibly promising. His Jets tenure may not have gone as planned, but here’s to hoping Becton can still put together a successful NFL career.
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