New York Jets NFL Draft profile: Louisville left tackle Mekhi Becton

Mekhi Becton would be a massive addition to the New York Jets offensive line.

If this were a normal NFL Draft, Mekhi Becton would already have posed for a photo with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and walked off the stage well before the New York Jets pick at No. 11. 

And while COVID-19 will keep players such as Becton from making that stroll to shake hands with the commissioner, that shouldn’t stop the Louisville left tackle from being an early selection later this month. For a Jets team that comes into the late-April draft needing help along the offensive line, it is too bad. The ACC standout is simply unreal. 

Becton, along with Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs, emerged from the NFL Combine in late February as the top two offensive linemen. Becton is a massive being at 6-foot-7 and 364 pounds, the only thing more impressive than his size being the fact that he ran his 40 at 5.1 seconds. 

The Jets have revamped their offensive line, with general manager Joe Douglas doing a nice job of finding quality and upgrading a unit that was among the worst in the league the past two seasons. For the better part of a decade now, the Jets have ignored the offensive line in the NFL Draft. 

Now, a player like Becton, who was a standout at Louisville, combines freakish athleticism with beyond solid game film.  

The SI Big Board: Becton checks in at No. 12. 

The lowdown on Becton: There are a lot of things to like about Becton, including the fact that he moves so well for someone so big. He has long arms and shows good strength on tape. 

Following that 40 time at the Combine, Becton has emerged as likely the first offensive lineman off the board and is nearly a lock to be a top six pick. Simply, players his size don’t move like he does. He was First-Team All-ACC as well as an All-American selection and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the top blocker in the conference. This isn’t a workout warrior. Becton simply overpowered his college opposition. 

That his freakish Combine numbers are backed up with good tape makes Becton a potential generational fit for some team at left tackle. 

Where he fits on the Jets: There is very little chance that Becton lands at the Jets at No. 11. Not even Sonny Weaver Jr. could pull that one off. 

But were the Jets to move up in the draft – a longshot given that they need to address several areas on the team and have limited draft capital – then Becton could come into play. It likely would be a steep price to pay, even as the Jets general manager has made it clear that he wants to protect quarterback Sam Darnold moving forward. 

On a team needing a left tackle, Becton would be a massive injection (pun not intended) of talent and size. He would be a building block piece for the franchise moving forward.