It's time for Jets to see what Mekhi Becton can do

With the New York Jets offensive line in a state of flux, offensive tackle Mekhi Becton may soon earn a "Big Ticket" to the starting lineup. 

The Jets' frontline issues have been evident throughout all of training camp, but reached a head during Wednesday's joint practice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was "sacked" six times in team drills, with five of the six being allowed by Max Mitchell or Billy Turner — two of the tackles looking to earn their spot among the starting front five.

Duane Brown, who is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and will turn 38 this month, remains the Jets' presumptive Week 1 starting left tackle. It's time to see if Becton can hold down the fort on the other side. 

Becton has solely worked with the backups in training camp, predominantly playing left tackle during team periods with occasional reps at right tackle in walk-throughs. While head coach Robert Saleh doesn't question Becton's talent, he does worry about the 24-year-old's readiness.

"The biggest thing for Mekhi is to show that he can play a game without having to be spelled out," Saleh said on Wednesday, per the New York Post. "It’s unfair to the team to prepare a guy to start if you are not sure he can make it through a game. He is moving in the right direction. I thought he had a big step against Carolina in that game."

Becton's confidence is still not at 100% as the 2020 first-round pick learns to trust his repaired knee that sidelined him for the past two seasons. After playing just seven snaps in the Jets' preseason opener and exiting the game early with knee soreness, Becton increased his workload to 27 snaps the following week against the Carolina Panthers.

"As soon as the [coaching] staff, training staff and everyone feels comfortable that he’s able to show that and stack days up, definitely start rotating him to compete," Saleh said. "I think he is realizing he loves the game of football and he wants to be out there. If part of our best-five [line] is him playing right tackle, I think he’s on board."

Becton certainly seems on board, taking his first 11-on-11 reps in camp from the right side on Thursday.