Getty New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton going through some drills during training camp.
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh revealed there is going to be an open competition in the trenches in 2023.
He said you can assume that Laken Tomlinson and Alijah Vera-Tucker will be handling the starting guard spots, but the other three positions are up for grabs.
“We are going to play our best five,” Saleh emphatically stated. “You can assume AVT is the best right guard I’ll say that and Laken [at left guard]. Then at center and both tackles it’s going to be a really cool competition on the offensive line.”
#Jets HC Robert Saleh said you can assume Laken Tomlinson at LG & Alijah Vera-Tucker at RG, but the rest of the OL will be an open competition, ‘we’re going to play our best 5’ + Mekhi Becton has a chance to win LT job: 🎥 @nyjets #TakeFlight
If Saleh is hellbent on playing the best five possible offensive linemen regardless of position, Mekhi Becton might be screwed.
On Saturday, May 6 Becton tweeted, “I.M.A.LEFT.TACKLE!” according to Brian Costello of the New York Post before deleting it a little while later.
However, the Jets convinced veteran Duane Brown to return for a No. 17 NFL season in 2023. Throughout his storied professional career, he has exclusively played left tackle.
When you put the pieces together on paper, the best five possible offensive linemen for the Jets would likely include Brown next season. That means the best Becton could possibly hope for is a starting gig as the right tackle next year which apparently isn’t what he wants.
Robert Saleh Sends Clear Message to Jets OT Mekhi Becton
Costello brought up the deleted Becton tweet about his desire to be the left tackle to head coach Robert Saleh during his media availability on Saturday, May 6.
“Go win the left tackle. [Shrugs his shoulders], competition.”
Becton has only played 48 snaps over the last two years.
The former No. 11 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft got hurt during practice last August and missed the entire season. Then the year prior Becton got hurt in the 2021 season opener versus the Carolina Panthers and missed the rest of that campaign.
With all of that uncertainty, the Jets decided to decline the $13.5 million fifth-year option on his contract for the 2024 season. That means 2023 has now transformed into a contract year for the former Louisville product.
Jets Want the Best Possible Starting Tackle Tandem
If the Jets truly want the best starting tackle tandem they can have, then that pairing is likely Duane Brown on the left side and Mekhi Becton on the right side.
Duane may be 37 years of age and is set to turn 38 before the start of 2023 but his resume speaks for itself. He is a five-time Pro Bowler and has been voted an All-Pro on three separate occasions. Not a single offensive lineman on the roster can hold his jock strap.
Brown flirted with retirement this offseason, but the coaching staff was able to convince him to come back for another run. One of the only things missing from his perfect football career is a Super Bowl ring.
It’s unlikely the Jets convinced him to come back to play right tackle for the first time in his career.
On the other side of the formation, the Jets have a lot of questions and very few answers.
Becton hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Max Mitchell showed some glimpses last year but he’s coming off of a very serious blood clot situation. Cedric Ogbuehi is probably best served in a depth role. Billy Turner is another system option that could emerge during training camp.
Becton has the highest ceiling of any of those players but arguably also has the lowest floor with his inability to stay on the field.