USAT: Jets Wire audio clip

USAT: Jets Wire

Feb 5, 2022

The Jets will have a true battle for the starting left tackle job between Mekhi Becton and George Fant – and that’s a good thing. - By not naming a starter outright and opening up the competition to both players, Robert Saleh created an atmosphere of accountability for Becton and the rest of the team while simultaneously ensuring the Jets will start the best player at the left tackle spot. It’s a head-turning approach considering Becton was the 11th overall pick just 22 months ago, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad one after Fant thrived at left tackle after Becton hurt his knee in Week 1 this past season. - Fant finished the year as the third-best pass-blocking tackle after he allowed just 18 pressures. Becton, meanwhile, allowed 24 as a rookie in 2020. He did not play after Week 1 in 2021 after dislocating his kneecap. - Now that Becton knows his starting job is in jeopardy, it should incentivize him to return stronger, leaner and better overall. There have been almost no updates on his rehab from the Jets, except for minor mentions by Saleh, a few practice videos and an Instagram post from Becton’s nutritionist earlier this year, so it’s impossible to know what kind of shape he’s in. - Saleh loves the mental side of football, and this decision is just another example of him wanting to see how a player reacts to adversity. Becton had no competition for the left tackle job when he came in as a rookie or heading into the 2021 season. Fant, meanwhile, battled with Morgan Moses for the right tackle job last offseason before winning the starting role. So this will be the first time Saleh and the Jets will see Becton without the guarantee of a job. - “He has to come in and reassert himself into the starting lineup,” Saleh said of Becton this week at the Senior Bowl. “I think Mekhi has the skill set to do whatever he wants. He just has to put his mind to it.” - This decision affects Fant as well. Not giving the job back to Becton immediately incentivizes Fant while rewarding him for the major strides he made in 2021. - “It’d be a disservice to George and the work that he’s put in and the things he was able to do this year to just tell him that he can’t compete for that job,” Saleh said. - - List - - One free agent each team should want to sign in 2022 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Jets Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Jets Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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