Offensive line, offensive line, offensive line, it’s a story as old as time. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ inability to protect the quarterback has been an issue that has plagued the team for much of the last decade, and in 2019, the team saw little to no improvement from the previous seasons. With a disappointing year as a whole, at least it appears they have their right tackle of the future in Jawaan Taylor, who made Pro Football Focus’ All-Rookie team this year despite his issues with penalties.
The start to his rookie campaign got off to s struggling start, however, by season’s end the former Florida Gator was the team’s most consistent and productive blocker in the trenches. Despite questions about his health, he also proved to be an ironman for the Jags and was the only rookie in the NFL to start in 100% of his snaps.
While the right tackle position seems to be in good hands, the left side is not. Jacksonville selected Cam Robinson in the 2017 draft in hopes that the former Alabama left tackle could develop into a cornerstone piece for the team. After an encouraging start, Robinson suffered a season ending injury in 2018 and unfortunately has yet to really bounce back.
That sets the Jaguars up to potentially look for a new left tackle in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft. While Georgia’s Andrew Thomas receives most of the media attention, and rightfully so, Louisville’s Mekhi Becton is another possible Day 1 selection, who fans should become familiar with.
First and foremost, Becton is a MONSTER. Becton is listed at an impressive 6-foot-7 height with a weight recorded at about 369 pounds, but don’t let his weight trick you into thinking that he can’t move. Becton is sneakily athletic, possessing nimble feet, preventing pass-rushers from getting around the edge to the quarterback. He is an impressive athlete and his combination of size and quickness are a big part of why he was listed among Daniel Jeremiah’s top-10 players in the 2020 class.
In this clip above, it’s easy to see Becton’s explosiveness and quick feet right out of the gate. Becton bursts off the line engaging the defender, using his size and strength to direct the defensive lineman at his will. His set of tangibles are rarely seen and it has scouts drooling for a force like Becton.
Not only does Becton possess wicked foot speed and enormous size, but he is also nasty. Becton seems to take every snap personal, stealing his opponent’s lunch money on a play by play basis.
Here are just a few examples of plays where, quite frankly, Becton is just bullying some kids on the playground.
A lot of football junkies will talk about how they want their offensive line to be big, physical, and mean; Becton certainly fits the bill. He’s produced more pancakes than IHOP while at Louisville and has the type of presence Doug Marrone, a former offensive line coach, should be intrigued by. Simply put, the Jags could use a bully like Becton on the blind-side for the sake of Gardner Minshew II (as a passer) and Leonard Fournette (as a rusher).
As for the cons, he’s going to have to lower his body fat. Clearly, he’s not going to be able to play in the NFL at 370 pounds. While at Louisville, his weight was rather sporadic and the teams in the league are going to want to see him develop a stable weight. He also needs to work on his punch placement, which is a huge part of stopping a defenders momentum.
If he can cleanup the flaws mentioned above, he could be the difference between the success or failure of Minshew in 2020. The Jaguars certainly should be on the lookout for a new blind-side protector, and if Becton is available, they should have a hard time passing up a talent like his.
