Jets lineman ballooned to 400 pounds last season

Jul 31, 2021; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton (77) runs during training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets have the fourth overall pick in Thursday night’s NFL Draft, and they could use it to fill one of several needs. Their decision may hinge on what type of condition one of their former first-round picks is in.

Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, the 11th overall pick in the 2020 draft, suffered a knee injury in Week 1 last season. He underwent surgery and was expected to miss 4-8 weeks, but he sat out the remainder of the year. One of the reasons for that was that his weight got out of control.

Becton is already one of the biggest players in the NFL. The former Louisville star is listed at 6-foot-7 and 363 pounds. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, he packed on roughly 40 pounds while recovering from his knee injury and was up to a whopping 400.

That would certainly help explain why Becton missed the entire season despite an eight-week recovery timeline. Jets head coach Robert Saleh said earlier this offseason that Becton will have to compete to get his starting job back, and Cimini reports that there is tension between Becton’s camp and the team.

Many analysts have predicted that the Jets will take former Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner at No. 4. They also like former NC State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu. Their decision may say a lot about Becton’s standing with the team.