Eagles’ Nick Sirianni on which position Mekhi Becton will play: He’ll start at tackle and we’ll go from there
Written by CBS SPORTS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on May 4, 2024
The Philadelphia Eagles have added some depth to their offensive line after signing former New York Jets first-round pick Mekhi Becton to a one-year deal worth up to $5.5 million, according to ESPN.
Where Becton will play is not set in stone, despite his history playing of tackle. With the retirement of star center Jason Kelce, the Eagles offensive line is doing some shuffling, with Cam Jurgens will move from guard to center, which could impact where Becton fits in. The line also includes left tackle Jordan Mailata, right tackle Lane Johnson and left guard Lane Divkerson.
When head coach Nick Sirianni was asked if Becton could play on the interior, he did not shut down the possibility.
“We obviously have a lot of time to figure out who the top five guys are. He’s played tackle, obviously, as everybody knows. He’ll start there and then we’ll see what happens,” Sirianni said (via the team transcript).
In May of last year, Becton said he wanted to move to left tackle, blaming the Jets for his knee injury, saying they forced him to play the right side and it made “no sense” to put him there.
“I got drafted as a left tackle. I dominated as a left tackle my rookie year, and I was going to dominate my second year, and that unfortunate injury happened,” he said, nearly a year ago. “I’m a natural left tackle. I’m not a right tackle. 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.”
The 25-year-old came into the league as the No. 11 overall pick of the Jets back in 2020 out of Louisville. Upon arrival in the NFL, New York hoped he’d become a pillar along its offensive line, but injuries and inconsistent play plagued his tenure with the organization. He missed the entire 2022 campaign due to an injury to his kneecap, but rebounded with a healthy season in 2023 where he started in all 16 of his games played. Last season, he allowed 12 sacks, 31 hurries and 47 total pressures for the Jets.
Becton seems to have some fans within the hall of Lincoln Financial Field as the report notes that offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who has been with the organization since the 2013 season, was a proponent of bringing Becton to Philadelphia.
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