Jets’ first-round pick Mekhi Becton is massive.
Not only is he one of the tallest players in the draft at 6-foot-7, but he’s also 364 pounds. If he stays at that weight before the 2020 NFL season, Becton will be the second-heaviest player in the league behind only Oakland Raiders’ offensive tackle Trent Brown.
But there’s more to Becton than his size. He’s also incredibly light on his feet and posted an impressive 5.10 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine.
“A man that size isn’t supposed to be as nimble as he is,” Jets general manager Joe Douglas said after taking Becton. “We’re so excited to add a guy this size and athletic ability. A guy we feel can fortify our front for the long term.”
Becton will likely try to slim down from that size, as he prefers to play at around 350-355 pounds. That would drop him likely to the third-heaviest behind Steelers tackle Zach Banner, who weighed 360 pounds in 2019. Whatever weight Becton enters 2020 with, it won’t be nearly as much as Aaron Gibson, who entered the 2002 season with the Cowboys at 410 pounds.
The Jets will need all of Becton to turn around their bottom-tier offense in 2020 and protect Sam Darnold from the barrage of defenders who were able to take him down in 2019. Becton should have no problem with that huge frame of his on a new offensive line that features a handful of veterans and new free-agent acquisitions.
