A LOT OF GREEN
Even among NFL giants, Jets’ 6-7, 365-pound Becton stands out
Jets rookie left tackle Mekhi Becton is a mountain of a man proving once again that size does indeed matter in the NFL trenches.
“Big as…” veteran running back Frank Gore said Monday before not completing the same thought dancing around everyone’s head. “You see him out there. He looks different, man.”
The 6-7, 365-pound Becton put on pads for the first time Monday, flashing his athleticism for his new coaches and teammates. Although Becton has plenty of work to do in his game, he has made a good first impression.
“It’s rare that you see a 370- pound guy move the way he does,” Adam Gase said after the Jets’ first 90-minute padded practice. “It’s hard to explain what it feels like when you’re standing next to him. When you’re next to him, that’s when you realize how big this guy is. When other players are talking about his size, his length, his strength, that’s when you know it’s real.”
“It’s not something that a coach or a scout is just talking about just because of height, weight, speed measurable type thing. He applies to the field. And it’s difficult for guys to figure out how to rush
him in the pass game. Then in the run game, it’s hard to move him back. You don’t see much penetration. That line flattens out prettyfast.”
Becton, the No. 11 overall pick, has natural gifts that can’t be taught. His agility for someone his size grabbed NFL scouts’ attention in the pre-draft process. It’s a talent that he’ll lean on early and often this season. He dis- played his power at practice by flattening linebacker Nev- ille Hewitt on Monday.
“He came off the ball pretty good,” Hewitt said. “I was pretty impressed. It was a pretty good thud.”
The Jets believe that Becton, proj- ected to be Sam Darnold’s blindside pro- tector, will be delivering plenty of pretty good thuds for the next decade or so.
“Everything he’s done so far shows me that he must have studied over the summer extremely hard to be able to come in here and execute the way that he’s been executing,” Gase said.
There’s plenty of promise, but it’s unrealistic to expect elite level play for any rookie left tackle. Becton, however, will get a crash course over the next several weeks against defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ varying looks.
“It’s a great thing about playing (against) Gregg’s de- fense,” Gase said. “You get so many different looks that he’s getting the full gamut, which he needs. When you start playing different teams, you’re seeing different tech- niques that can sometimes hurt a rookie’s growth. The fact that he’s seeing this much this early is really good.”
“He has to use concepts,” Gase later added. “We can’t go out there and say ,‘ Hey, just do this.’ Going against our de- fense, it’s not that easy. Every- thing has to be concept based… You have to have an- swers for so many multiple fronts and techniques… He has to use that knowledge and apply it on the field. And he’s done a great job of that.”
It’s fair to expect ebbs and flows this season, but Becton is a willing learner. He has the requisite tools to be ulti- mately be a difference maker. He’s good enough to be make a meaningful difference on Gang Green’s revamped line this season.
But Gore, who’s entering his 16th season, still wants a larger sample size.
“I just got to see more,” Gore said. “I just got to watch him, watch film, hit the field… then I can tell. First day, he
was talking to me out there… He got me. I’m going to make sure you get four yards. I could tell he really likes to (compete).
“He can move,” Gore added. “I watched him when he got drafted. … Watching him slamming guys to the ground… even out here. Moving pretty well to be that big. That’s crazy.”
VYNCINT OUT A WHILE:
WR Vyncint Smith is expectedtomiss5-8weeksafter suffering a core muscle injury that will require surgery. The Jets are signing veteran wideout Chris Hogan. … Linebacker James Burgess didn’t return after injuring his lower back early in practice. … Did not practice: WR Denzel Mims (hamstring), CB Pierre Desir (hamstring), CB Brian Poole (dehydration), DL Jabari Zuniga (quad), OL Cam Clark (shoulder) … Gase said team meetings are still being conducted virtually… Monday’s practice was limited to 90 minutes, per the league’s revised rules amid the pandemic. … Gase on a timetable for linebacker Avery Williamson’s return off the PUP list after missing last season with a torn ACL: “It’s hard for me to predict… I know this: He’s looked good when I’ve watched him just running… We want him back out there. But we got to do right by him to make sure he’s in the right frame both mentally and physically before we put him out there.”