Jets Making Right Decision By Letting Former First-Round Pick Walk

Mekhi Becton's 2023 season didn't go as he may have wanted. The Louisville product looked to cement himself as a cornerstone on the offensive line but that plan fell right on its face.

The Jets played musical chairs along the offensive line that featured Becton moving from right tackle to his natural position as a left tackle. In a contract year, the 2020 first-round started 16 games, the most since his rookie year, after he missed two consecutive seasons due to knee injuries. New York declined to pick Becton's fifth-year option in May 2023.

This past season, Becton was second in the NFL in pressures allowed (18) and tied for first in sacks allowed (12). The 24-year-old struggled throughout the year with both run blocking and pass protection.

Jets News: Mekhi Becton Won't Be Re-Signed

Despite Becton wanting to resign with the Jets, management doesn't have the same vision. According to ESPN's Rich Cimini, Becton and New York may be looking at a fresh start.

On his podcast "Flight Deck" Cimini said, "I do not foresee Mekhi Becton going back to the Jets in any form next year. They are not going to tag him, I can tell you that much & I’d be really surprised if they signed him unless it was a one-year prove-it deal."

He continued to say," Mekhi Becton is just not the Jets’ cup of tea, I think this coaching staff would like to move on, & to be quite honest I think Mekhi Becton would like to move on as well & get a fresh start somewhere else."

Becton showed so much promise and talent in the 2020 season. He was dominating players in the run game and showed anchor in pass protection. Since then, things have looked different for Becton.

New York will now be in the market to add two new starting tackles as they will be revamping the offensive line ahead of the 2024 campaign.

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