NFL training camp starts at the end of July, which means players around the league are getting their last bits of offseason work in before the real work of trying to make the roster begins.

For certain players, this season is what some may call “Make or Break,” meaning they need to put together a productive year or they could be looking for employment elsewhere at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

We’ll highlight those players for the Jets, continuing today with offensive tackle Mekhi Becton.

2020 Stats (only played half a game in 2021)

- 14 games (13 starts)
- 23 total pressures allowed, including seven sacks
- Two offensive penalties

Why Make or Break?

The Jets drafted Becton with the 11th overall pick in 2020 and were confident they’d found themselves a player with the potential to develop into one of the league’s best tackles after his rookie season. Becton showcased dominance in the running game at times and held up surprisingly well against some top pass rushers.

In 2021, the Jets drafted Alijah Vera-Tucker in the first round and were hopeful that the pair would form one of the best young duos in the league on the left side of the line. However, those plans went awry when Becton suffered a knee injury in the opener. While this was initially only expected to sideline him for a month or two, it took Becton longer than expected to recover from this and he ended up missing the rest of the season.

With Becton unavailable, George Fant moved across from right tackle to left tackle and put together the most consistent season of his career. Head coach Robert Saleh has suggested there will be a competition between the two for that role and implied that it’s not impossible the Jets could get Becton to move over to the right side.

Fant, who suffered a knee injury himself at the end of the 2021 season, hasn’t been able to capitalize on Becton’s absence to make the left tackle job his own because he’s been limited during the offseason as well. The Jets will be looking for Becton to prove that he’s someone they can rely on going forward.

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