Mekhi Becton has shown flashes of his immense potential, drawing rave reviews from analysts, coaches and teammates for his brute strength and quick transition to the NFL game. Unfortunately, they have only been glimpses, because he hasn’t been on the field nearly enough.
That trend continued Monday night.
The monstrous left tackle and first-round pick out of Louisville left the 30-27 loss to the Patriots late in the first quarter with a chest injury and didn’t return. He suffered the injury after a 15-yard Frank Gore run and was replaced at left tackle by Chuma Edoga.
Coach Adam Gase was unaware of the severity of the injury afterward.
“I don’t know what it is, to be honest with you,” he said. “They just told me, ‘Chest.’ ”
Becton, a 6-foot-7, 364-pound mauler, has received plenty of praise for his play — when he’s been on the field. Early in the season, former Jets and Patriots offensive lineman Damien Woody, who now works as an ESPN analyst, said Becton was already one of the best offensive tackles in the game. Gore said Becton is “a Larry Allen type guy,” referring to the Hall of Fame left tackle he played with early in his career with the 49ers. Becton has laid out opponents like few linemen are capable of, physically moving them several yards downfield or driving them into the turf.
“I think everyone is excited about Mekhi,” Jets general manager Joe Douglas said recently. “I think Mekhi has obviously turned heads with his sheer size and strength. … He truly cares. He truly wants to help. I think he is a player that is going to help us long term. We’re excited about working with him every day.”
He hasn’t been able to work every day, though. Becton has already missed two games with a shoulder injury and briefly played in another contest. He’s come out of two other games with injuries.
Staying on the field has been his biggest obstacle so far. It appears to be an ongoing challenge.
“I feel like when he’s able to practice and he’s able to play in games, he gets better each time,” Gase said. “I think any player when you miss time, it hurts, just the aspect of [not gaining] experience.
“Young players, you want to see [them get] as many looks as possible, be in there and go through those experiences, because that’s how you become a great player. We’ll see the extent of this injury.”
