'That's the type of thing I really look for: Is he moving great? I don't really care if he's 380 or 340, for that matter, if he's moving well enough and doing those types of things.' 'Your prototypical guy who's playing at 360 or 370 (pounds) would really struggle in this offense, but Mekhi is not in that vein. 'Mekhi is so special in that sense - that's why he's got the talent he has because he can be as quick and athletic as he is at the size other people couldn't even come close to handling,' offensive line coach John Benton said. That doesn't mean he's currently at his optimal playing weight, of course. 'I'm satisfied where I'm at, me and the coaching staff.' 'I'm not saying numbers right now,' Becton said. He's listed at 363, but both Becton and Saleh declined to reveal what the offensive lineman's weight is now. 'He's here, so that's good.'īecton's weight has fluctuated during his brief NFL career, reportedly hitting 400 pounds at one point. 'He looks good,' coach Robert Saleh said. He said his knee is regaining strength and he expects to be ready to practice fully when training camp begins in late-July. 'Ready to go out there and play.'īecton spent the two mandatory minicamp practice sessions in the trainers area, working out and doing some light running with other players coming back from injuries. This is officially comeback season for the man whose Twitter username is fittingly 'Trending Topic.' 'It just adds fuel to the fire, honestly,' Becton said in his first meeting with reporters since last September. The sharp criticisms of Becton have since increased from outside the facility. When the Jets reconvened for the voluntary offseason program in April, Becton remained in the Dallas area to work with his own crew of trainers - while remaining in touch with the team - and be with his fiancee, who recently gave birth to their first child. But I'm definitely coming back with that chip on my shoulder.' 'Just a lot to come from, trying to become better from what you did in your rookie year and just to get hurt and be out all season, it's a lot. 'It was really just a lot of adversity,' Becton said. George Fant stepped in and played well, and suddenly Becton's role on the team has become uncertain. But that turned into months and eventually the entire season. But Becton struggled last year with a foot injury before training camp, then had to learn a new offensive system under coordinator Mike LaFleur before a knee injury wiped out his season in Week 1.īecton dislocated his right kneecap and sprained his MCL, injuries that at first were expected to sideline him several weeks. 11 overall pick out of Louisville in 2020 had a promising rookie season as a punishing blocker whose size - 6-foot-7 and 363 pounds - and speed made him a potential jumbo-sized superstar.

While much of the focus for the Jets is on the progress of second-year quarterback Zach Wilson, the team's most intriguing player is perhaps Becton. 'Yeah, and I don't understand why,' Becton said while shaking his head. And he knows some have already written him off. He has read their comments on social media. 'A lot of words I've been called my whole life,' the New York Jets offensive tackle said Wednesday. Words such as 'fat,' 'lazy,' 'out of shape,' 'injury prone,' 'overweight' and 'bum' formed a circle of criticisms around the eye-catching capitalized 'BIG BUST' in the middle. (AP) Mekhi Becton's bright blue T-shirt said it all.

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