49ers Pitched to Land 1st-Round Jets Bust Who Ripped His Team

Getty Mekhi Becton, former 1st round pick of the New York Jets

Much was expected out of Jets tackle Mekhi Becton when he was selected by New York with the 11^th overall pick in 2020 NFL draft. And the 49ers should take notice.

A fractured kneecap in Becton’s surgically repaired right knee — one that he lashed out at the Jets organization for causing — kept that from happening. Becton played one game between his rookie season and this season, both because of injury and poor conditioning.

Now, Becton is healthy again and back in the Jets’ starting group. Though he has been a draft bust to this point, he is only 24 and still has upside, even if he needs to increase his professionalism.

Which makes him an excellent fit for the 49ers — if the team’s persuasive trust could somehow get him to agree to play right tackle, that is.

Pro Football Focus suggests that the 49ers could make a run at Becton in free agency next year. “Why not see if you can get one freakishly athletic tackle to serve as the mentor to another?” they wrote. “Mekhi Becton earned run-blocking grades of 73.9 and 78.7 in 2021 and 2022, respectively, while operating in a similar offense to San Francisco’s. Becton wants to be a left tackle eventually but would presumably be open to learning from Trent Williams, growing his game on the right side and then kicking back over.”

Jets Did Not Pick Up Becton’s Option

The fact that the Jets did not pick up Becton’s fifth-year option last offseason is an indication of how frustrated they’ve been with their wayward first-rounder. He’d have been paid $13.5 million on that option, but now can be a free agent next summer.

The 49ers do have improvements to make on the offensive line, which might be the weakest unit on an otherwise stacked team. Williams is still be best in the business, but he holds together an otherwise subpar group.

Opposite Williams at right tackle is Colton McKivitz, who has graded out at Pro Football Focus with a 59.6 through four weeks, ranking 41^st out of 68 NFL tackles.

This week, offensive line coach Chris Foerster admitted that McKivitz is not where he needs to be.

“I think it gets better and better,” Foerster said. “So, I’m not down on Colton in any stretch of the imagination, pass protection, run game wise. He’s just got some work to do.”

Good Luck Convincing Mekhi Becton to Play RT

General manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan have, in their time together with the 49ers, pulled off some major feats, whether that is unearthing Brock Purdy, trading for Christian McCaffrey or making shrewd signings like the one that brought Javon Hargrave to San Francisco last spring.

But convincing Becton to go back to right tackle could prove to be a true miracle — if they could pull it off. Becton injured his right knee during the 2021 season and as he came back for the 2022 season, the Jets wanted to shift him to right tackle and allow George Fant to play left tackle, which had been Becton’s position all his life.

Becton said he warned the Jets that his right knee would be under too much pressure playing right tackle, and he should stay at left tackle. After coaches did not listen to him, he said, he suffered another injury to the right knee, a fractured kneecap.

“I’m a natural left tackle. I’m not a right tackle,” Becton said this offseason. “I don’t care what people say. I know I’m going to go out there and prove it. People know what I can do as a rookie, and I’m better now than I was then.”

Maybe he’d change his tune if he could get out of the Jets circus and go to a franchise like the 49ers. But he would need a lot of convincing.