The Jets have tackle Mekhi Becton on the field with the rest of his teammates for the first time in a long time.
Becton hurt his knee in Week 1 last season and never returned to action before the season was done. He opted to stay away from the voluntary portions of the team’s offseason program, but is back with the team for this week’s mandatory minicamp.
The team will limit him to working with trainers after that long absence. Offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur said it was good to see Becton back and offered a reminder of why the Jets took him in the first round in 2020.
“He’s a very large man that is hard to run around in the pass game and then he’s got — for being such a large man — a great first step to get on players and move them in the run game,” LaFleur said, via SNY. “Our scheme or any other scheme, he’s got the talent. Just that elite God-given size and strength that he has. The thing for Mekhi is just putting himself in the best situation for him going forward.”
George Fant played left tackle in Becton’s absence last year and did well enough that there’s a question about how the team will deploy their tackles this season. LaFleur declined to share any thoughts on that, which means it will be a topic of great interest come training camp.