2020 NFL Draft: 5 players Jets could take in Round 1

1. Louisville OT Mekhi Becton

As awesome as it would be for the Jets to find a no. 1 receiver in the draft, it won’t be as good if Sam Darnold doesn’t have time to throw to that guy. Joe Douglas was a former offensive lineman in college and has spent most of the Jets’ offseason working on improving his offensive line, so if a top tackle makes it to 11th, that’s where the Jets will go.

The best fit for the Jets would be Louisville’s Mekhi Becton, who has begun rapidly climbing draft boards over the past several weeks. Becton is a massive human being at 6-foot-7 and 354 pounds, but he proved to be surprisingly nimble by running a 5.10-second 40-yard dash at the combine.

The Jets are no doubt salivating over Becton’s power and potential to anchor the left tackle position for the next 10-15 years. Becton is already projected as a plug-and-play starter at the position, which would give Douglas and Jets’ coach Adam Gase peace of mind at left tackle for a long time.

The question will be if Becton actually makes it to the Jets at 11 when teams like the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Giants could all be looking at tackles with their picks. Even if Becton goes off the board, there should be another good option for the Jets available to take here.

This scenario would be the best case one for the Jets, who see a player they absolutely covet slide to them at 11. Adding Becton to the offensive line would allow newly signed George Fant to be a swing tackle and offer insurance on the right side for 2019 third-rounder Chuma Edoga, giving the Jets incredible depth in a spot they had been very weak for the past several years.