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Playing defensive line in the NFL seems like a pretty fun job — except when you put it in the perspective of having to face the offensive line of the Philadelphia Eagles.
One of the reasons the Eagles have been such a dominant force up front in 2024 has been the addition of 6-foot-7, 363-pound offensive guard Mekhi Becton on a 1-year, $2.75 million contract in April 2024.
With the Eagles on a 7-game winning streak and 9-2 record headed into a marquee Week 13 game against the Baltimore Ravens, Becton is not only receiving praise for his play but being pointed to as a player other teams will come after in free agency.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine thinks one team who could land Becton is the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that in all likelihood will undergo a minor rebuild in the offseason that could include a new head coach and a revamped roster around much-injured quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Becton’s career makeover in Philadelphia has come with a position change — he played the first 4 seasons of his career at offensive tackle.
“Mekhi Becton has resurrected his career in Philadelphia,” Ballentine wrote. “Working with offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, moving to guard and staying healthy have likely earned him a bigger contract in free agency. The Jaguars should be in the bidding. He would fill in a need, and there’s still an outside shot he could move back out to tackle.”
Becton Spent First 4 Seasons in NFL Purgatory
The New York Jets selected Becton in the first round (No. 11 overall) of the 2020 NFL draft out of Louisville only to send him into football purgatory for the next 4 seasons — a stretch in which the the Jets went 20-47 and had double-digit losses each year.
In that time, Becton missed 33 consecutive games — all but 1 game in 2021 and all of 2022 with major knee injuries. He returned in 2023 to start 16 games, but those injury issues let the Eagle get him at a bargain-basement price. He’s been stellar in 10 starts in 2024 with a 75.1 overall grade from PFF.
“And you just see (Becton), like sometimes it just looks like he’s just delivering like a two-handed shove,” Sheil Kapadia said on “The Ringer’s Philly Special” podcast on November 27. “And the guys are going flying from like one hashmark to the other hashmark … it really is incredible. When it hits for him, it really hits ina. fun way that is, like, wildly entertaining when it’s a big man in a game of big men. When one big man is more powerful than the other big man, it really stands out.”
Becton Could Draw Big Money in Free Agency
That Becton could once again command big money is a testament to how much things have turned around for him — remember the Jets declined the $13.565 million fifth year option on his rookie contract before the 2023 season.
At just 25 years old, Becton could be looking at a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid players at his position in the NFL. According to Over the Cap, the average annual salary of the top 10 highest paid right guards in the NFL was at $15 million in 2024.
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