Former Jets first round pick Mekhi Becton playing in Hall of Fame game, looking to earn starting job

Mekhi Becton, former New York Jets No. 11 overall pick, wants a starting job this season and is ready to put in the work to prove he deserves the spot. Becton is planning to play in the Hall of Fame game on Thursday night against the Cleveland Browns. 

Head coach Robert Saleh expects him to play around 20 to 25 snaps in the game.

“I’m definitely treating this as if it’s a regular game like for sure — I don’t even care if it’s preseason or whenever,” Becton said (via the team’s official website). “I’m definitely treating this like it’s a regular game.”

This will be Becton’s first game since the start of the 2021 season, due to knee surgeries in back-to-back years, and feels up for the task. Now that he is back, he has a goal of being a Week 1 starter. 

“I’m really excited,” Becton said. “I mean, I’ve been getting more comfortable with my stance and moving around. These past few days have been probably my best few days in a while. So, I’m feeling confident, feeling comfortable, and ready to go … I’m just going to keep grinding and keep stacking days like I’ve been doing. That’s just my whole mindset. Just keep getting better and get one percent better every day.”

The 24-year-old is willing to help the team in whatever way he can, an approach and mindset he has learned with age.

“Wherever they want me at, I just want to be on the field,” Becton said. “That took some maturing. That’s the big thing for me. I just want to play.”

Becton was drafted in 2020 and has played 15 games, starting 14, since he joined the Jets. This offseason, he has been lining up at left tackle and is currently at his lowest weight since college, at 350 pounds. 

He wanted to play left tackle, but going into training camp in 2022, he was at the right tackle position and ended up with a season-ending injury. Becton said the team putting him at right tackle put stress on the wrong knee and caused the injury, adding that they “forced” him to play on the other side. 

This week, Becton reversed his stance on the Jets being the cause of the injury, saying a wrong surgery in 2021 is what is actually to blame. 

Saleh is aware of the spot Becton wants and says the offensive lineman has to earn the left tackle position headed into the season. 

The Jets now have future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers behind center so a strong offensive line is needed now more than ever.