How Mekhi Becton resurrected his career after Jets exit, eyeing Comeback Player of the Year with Eagles

Mekhi Becton - a name that makes Jets fans shudder yet brings a smile to the faces of Eagles fans. The 2020 first-round pick once given up for dead and considered a bust has resurrected his career and will be playing in the NFC title game Sunday. He’s also in line for a huge free-agent contract in the offseason.

Becton was a tall, athletic offensive tackle out of Louisville when he entered the 2020 NFL Draft as an underclassman. He was one of four highly rated offensive tackles that year, and some predicted he would be the first one selected. Eventually, he was chosen with the 11th pick of the draft by Joe Douglas, then the general manager of the New York Jets. It was the first draft Douglas oversaw for the Jets, and Becton turned out to be the first player he ever selected.

It seemed to be the right call, as Becton had a terrific rookie campaign at left tackle for the Jets, starting 13 games and being named to multiple All-Rookie teams.

Hopes were high for the future, then the bottom dropped out.

Becton was carted off the field with a knee injury in the season opener in 2021. He missed the rest of the season as well as the following year after suffering another knee injury in training camp. In the end, he suited up for just one game in two seasons.

Details of what was happening behind the scenes leaked out, and they were not pretty.

As I reported starting in January 2022, Becton’s weight ballooned up to over 400 pounds -- 415 pounds according to some sources -- and he came into camp his second season overweight, out of shape, and unmotivated. While the situation slightly improved prior to the 2022 season, many inside the Jets organization were not convinced Becton wanted a career in football. The big tackle was fighting constantly with critics on Twitter rather than allowing his play to do the talking.

The fact that the Jets headed into the 2021 season with a new coaching staff headed by Robert Saleh made matters worse. Saleh's staff was ready to discard Becton, as he was not a player Saleh drafted and he played just one game since those coaches were in charge.

Becton made several positive changes prior to the 2023 season, including signing with a new agent as well as a change of venue for off-season training. He completely changed his body and was close to 350 pounds by the time training camp opened. The hopes were that Becton would protect the strong side for the Jets' newly acquired quarterback Aaron Rodgers. And despite Rodgers going down with injury just four snaps into the season, Becton showed a lot of promise at right tackle.

Eventually, he was forced to move back to the left side after starter Duane Brown was lost for the season to injury again. The bottom then fell out for Becton and the entire Jets offensive line as the 2023 campaign progressed.

After four years in the league, Becton headed into free agency last year with nominal interest. The Cincinnati Bengals considered signing him to a one-year deal just above the league minimum, and there was also interest from the Atlanta Falcons. Becton finally agreed to a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on April 29, two days after the draft was complete.

The rest, they say, is history.

Mekhi Becton's resurgence

NFL: Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles - Source: Imagn

Becton has been dominant at his new position: right guard. He’s been a mainstay at the spot and is responsible for opening many of the lanes Saquon Barkley has run through. Barkley not only had a career campaign, but he’s one of three players in the running for MVP this season.

Those close to Becton believe there are three main factors that have led to his monumental turnaround, including:

DEDICATION TO OFFSEASON CONDITIONING: Becton moved to the Parisi training facility in New Jersey back in 2023, and it has paid off. The lowkey training outlet helped reshape Becton, as did the big offensive lineman’s commitment to conditioning.

NEW COACHING: As I’ve reported multiple times, New York Jets offensive line coach Keith Carter does not have a good reputation. In fact, many consider him one of the league’s worst. The situation couldn’t be any more different in Philadelphia. Jeff Stoutland has been the Eagles offensive line coach since 2013 and is considered one of the league’s best. He’s also been the run game coordinator since 2018, and the addition of Barkley, as well as Becton, has the Eagles ground game reaching new heights.

WILLINGNESS TO MOVE TO GUARD: From his days at Louisville through his four years with the New York Jets, Becton has always played offensive tackle. Yet his willingness to move inside to guard, a position that does not pay as well as a tackle in the NFL, and eventually winning the starting job then dominating all season long has people applauding Becton.

So what’s next?

Many believe Becton deserves to win Comeback Player of the Year in the NFL, though few think he’ll end up with the honor. Then it’s on to free agency.

It’s completely speculative at this point, but people tell me there’s a chance the Eagles offer Becton a large contract to retain him. With rumors rampant that 12-year veteran Lane Johnson could retire at the conclusion of the season, something many believe is likely if the Eagles win the Super Bowl, Becton could be a natural to replace the six-time Pro Bowler at right tackle.

Whatever happens this offseason, Becton deserves credit for completely resurrecting his NFL career after it looked as though he would be nothing more than a huge disappointment.