LISTEN | Draft Pick Profile - Mekhi Becton (5/5)

You're gonna hear from Joe Douglas and his staff, You're gonna hear from players or different people that have coached the draft pick, or you're gonna hear from the draft pick himself and e A. Let's start at the top with McKay Beckton, the jets first round selection, Joe Douglas's first selection as GM of the New York Jets, and

they take him at the eleventh overall spot. And when you look at where and how the board fell out, they had their option at tackle if they decided to go that way, and they had every receiver available, but they end up going with the big man. Well Green is really quick. Do we have to give ourselves a little bit of credit here on Official Jets Podcast? Remember leading up to the draft, we had a mock draft, and yourself, Anthony Becked and yours truly we all selected

Louisville tackle McKay Beckton. Yeah, I think we do. I think we do need to give ourselves a little credit here. That's a good point. So, yeah, getting to your question for Joe Douglas in company, like you mentioned Greens, every receiver still on the board if you want to go,

if you wanted it to go in that direction. But at the tackle position, Tristan Worse from Iowa was still there, and of course Mackay Beckton, Joe Douglas, his personnel staff, and most of Jets Nation very pumped up with how the board worked out on draft night and on the

Jets filed suit with taking McKay Beckton. Yeah, the Jets really had their options, and I think if you were a Jets fan, this is exactly how you wanted the board to play out, because it felt like if Joe Douglas and company wanted to take attack that they deemed worthy of the eleventh pick, and they did, then you have your option there and if not, maybe you go towards the receiver. And of course, when the Jets selected

at eleven, no receivers were taken. Into your point, Rugs, Judy and Lamb came off the board in that twelve to seventeen range, and you know I think that if you're a Jets fan, you have to be excited about this move. And we're gonna dive into McKay Beckton the player and a bit here. But this board fell out in a favorable way for the Jets. And you know, before you and I dive into McKay Beckton in his past at Louisville and grown up in Highland Springs, Virginia,

which is a suburb of Richmond. Let's here from Joe Douglas, Chad Alexander, and Phil Savage, who are of course all parts of this Jets scouting staff, and hear what they had to say about the six seven, three hundred sixty four pound monster. You know, the thing that jumps out when you first watch McKay on tape is it's like a giant among boys out there on the field. I mean,

his sheer size just jumps out. And then you see him move and you see how easy he can slide, how he can mirror uh defenders, and then his heavy hands as ability to lift people off their feet and just move people with these that's there's there's a lot of unusual traits to this young man's game. There's times it doesn't even look like he's hitting someone hard and guys,

guys are flying off their feet. I mean, so you're getting just a very naturally powerful young man who can, we hope, clear a lot of past at the point of attack and the run game. And I think he's gonna come in, he's gonna compete, and at the end of the day, we're gonna have our our best five

out there. I think once we get him here and get him in the program, you know, and see where he fits fits best along with the unit that we have and with coach Frank and dall and and at him, you know, I think that's gonna be a decision that I'll leave to them. I think we feel good about where we are up front. I've always said from the beginning, this game is won and lost of the trenches. You have to have a good offensive defensive line, and you have to have a good quarterback, and you have to

keep that quarterback upright on his feet. We're very we're very excited about this edition. It looked like, uh, he's a guy that that's really gotten better every year he came in, and he's a freshman All American. But I mean, it's just a massive kid. You know, he's just really such a smooth athlete. He's got clean feet, There's really not much that he's lacking. He's got outstanding league. His punch and pass pros outstanding. And he's just a powerful guy.

And I think the term freak of nature gets thrown out there a lot, you know, when referencing Mac, but it's just uncommon for someone that size to move that well. On the other side of it, he's a hard worker. You know, he's a finisher. He plays with nasty. It's an attitude, you know, to play with that demeanor, uh really goes a long way for for helping the offense and helping the team as a whole. I love the fact that he's got a lot of upside and potential

to be, you know, really something special. Other part of it is is he's a great kid, and we're just really excited to be able to work with a player like that. We were excited to to draft him at e Levin and like Joe D said, he's gonna be really good player for us for a long time, barely scratching the surface, you know. I had the good fortune of being with the Ravens is a long time ago,

and we drafted Jonathan Ogden in in nine. And then of course I was at the Browns when we took Joe Thomas in two thousand and seven, and we talked about those kind of comparisons, and you know, Jonathan Ogden was an Olympic level shot putter when he came out of u c l A. And he had trialed. He had come from Washington, Washington, d C. And gone all the way to u c l A. So, you know, he there was a level of advancement with him that was really unique. But McKay becked and is a bigger man.

McKay becked in six seven, three and sixty pounds, and he's got the same kind of foot agility. He's not quite the same fluid athlete. But in terms of making the comparison with j O and then Joe tom Us, I mean, Joe Thomas would dream to be as big as McKay Beckton. However, Joe was a technician and he was another person that was very advanced in terms of the techniques and the fundamentals, and he devoted himself to

the game. So if we can get the same kind of dedication to his craft that Jo and Joe Thomas had McKay Beckton we think has an unbelievable future with the New York Jets. E A. What really stands out to me about McKay Beckton after hearing those three guys talk about him. It's something that Phil Savage set that they had discussed a similarity or how you could basically anchor your old line with Beckton, similar to the way that Jonathan Ogden was for the Ravens and Joe Thomas

was for the Browns. I mean, you heard Phil Savage. He said Joe Thomas could dream of being as big as McKay Beckton. And Joe Thomas, of course is a future Hall of Famer, and they're different players, no doubt, But I think it all comes down to the side with McKay Beckton and just how nimble he is at the size he is just really rare. No comparisons and no projections coming from us because this is a young guy who's got plenty to learn on the National Football

League level. But yeah, the Jets fall in love with him. Six seven sixty four pound screens seven foot wingspan. You mentioned his feet, Uh, he had a basketball background. This guy was an accomplished basketball player in high school growing up in Virginia. And then that combine time five point one zero seconds in the forty yard dash, Greens. You know, when I was in my twenties, I thought I was in decent shape. There was nowhere I was not running anywhere close to a five point one zero time Like

this is very rare. His athleticism. Um, that was unofficially the fastest forty yard time buy an athlete weighing in at three fifty plus points of pounds at the I'm buying since nineteen eight seven. His hand sizes ten and three fours and his arms measured what thirty five and five eights. His wing span is eighty three and a quarter. The numbers are dazzling. Uh, it is somewhat staggerant. But what they loved too was obviously Number one was what they saw on tape, and they saw a guy who

brought edge and nastiness. That's what Adham Gates wants up front from his offensive line, and then he becomes Greens. Historically the first tackle taken by the Jets in the first round since two thousand and six. And I'll tell you what, this organization had a good run with that player that was the britishaw Ferguson. And when you take care of a tackle position, whether you play left or right. And I know the last what twenty one starts at

louis Bell, McKay Beckton played on the left side. That's a big time move for your offensive line. He is going to play immediately. We'll get into it down the line here on the pod and we'll talk about how he fits in. But um, you know he's got experience on both sides, and yeah, his athleticisms, his athleticism, his edge, his natural physical tools, and then the way he can move for a big man. It's just uncommon. To your point, he started twenty one games on the left side at Louisville,

started twelve on the right side. And something that you had talked about with Joe Douglas is that McKay Beckton earlier in his career was switching sides of the offensive line any given play. That's what Joe Douglas said. And then this past season he's anchored on the left side. He's a second team All American. He's the twenty nine team Jacob's Blocking Trophy Award winner of the a s C which goes to the top old lineman in the conference.

He's first team All a SEC and Joe Douglas said, he you is the word blossom, and that's how he described McKay Beckton on the left side in two thousand nineteen because he didn't have to go from the left side to the right side. And I think where we talked about McKay Beckton having untapped potential and the fact that he's really only played one full season at left tackle and had the season that he had is staggering.

Not to mention at the pro level, he might not be the most technically sound player from the get but I would imagine that being the size that he is is going to help him at least mask some of those problems. I know Adam Gates said more so in the run game than in the past game. But I think if you're Jets fan, you really have to be excited about what McKay Breckton brings to the table. The

thirty three starts in thirty five games at Louisville. Uh. He did the fell A drug test at the Combine Greens, but Joe Douglas was open about that he had a one on one with Beckton Wednesday night. So imagine getting that call if you're that aspect on the eve of the draft and the GM of the New York Jets is talking to you heart to heart, so that Joe and his staff very thorough examination throughout the pre draft uh process, But the hours leading up to the draft.

That tells you where Joe was at is, Hey, I'm gonna call this guy one more time? What is in his heart? What is in his mind right now? And obviously he got the answer that he wanted and he made him in New York Jet and UH, I love the way McCoy backed In answered questions on Thursday night. Big guy a lot of love, but he was focused Greens. He said, I just want to get to work. Let's

get to work. You know. I think the thing that stands out most from what Joe Douglas said was he told you this in your one on one and after Thursday night of the draft, he said, sometimes with Kai backed In hits people and he doesn't even look like he's hitting them hard and they go flying like that just speaks to the strength that McKay Beckton has. And just one quick note between McKay Beckton and Joe Douglas. They're both Virginia guys, are both Richmond guys, so they

obviously had that connection there. And before we hear from the big man himself, I just want to bring this back to his basketball prowess, being McKay's basketball prowess. I mean the head coach, former head coach of Louisville, Bobby Petrino, said that they knew they wanted to offer him a scholarship when he was doing a reverse dunk in high school.

I mean, I can't even imagine standing next to a guy this size because we've never met him face to face, but imagine being a high school kid and seeing this guy, a man of that size, throwing down reverse dunks. I mean that must have been sickening to see. Would you want to take a charge from that guy? No, honestly, honestly, I think he jumped over me. If I took a charge and he was going up to dunk, think he

cleared me. I'd love to play with him. We could take him down to Madison Greens and we'll play three No. And seriously, the heavy hands, got heavy hands, and he dwarfs over people. He finishes. He loves the game. He saw the passion in his play, and the film says, this guy was a much better player in two thousand nineteen than he was two thousand and eighteen. And how about assistant GM rex Hogan. He moves people like furniture and yeah, just to think about him playing basketball would

have been something else. Yeah, what's crazy is that he was a three star recruit head of high schools, the forty three offensive tackle rated in and you know he rose to where he became the eleventh overall selection, which you know goes to how much he dedicated to himself.

And you know it was reported that he was like three Now he's like some ridiculous percentage of body fat because he's so strong and was monsicator right Greens, Yeah, yeah, McKay Beckton, You know, I would imagine likes to eat food. And as he said, I mean, let me just read you some of his choices to go to school Louisville, Michigan, Oregon, Virginia where of course to Brickatshaw Ferguson went Virginia Tech.

And he he ends up going to Louisville because he was friends with Jeron Christian, who was the third round pick of the car of the Redskins, excuse me, in two thousand and eighteen, and that's what led him to the Louisville Spartinals. Dude, Korean Census. It's a great point, is that you just mentioned Michigan. Here's something for you. Every one of Michigan's starting line. I remember their starting line in two thousand nineteen, they just got drafted. Can

you imagine McKay backed in at Michigan? No, No, I would imagine that McKay Beckton in a snow game would absolutely destroy people because I would be right up his alley. So maybe coming soon too, MetLife a little snow game with BacT In paving the way for Levy on Bell. But you know what, without further ado, I think it's time that we hear from the big man himself. Here's McKay packed in one on one with the A McKay backed in. What would your reaction when he got the

call from the Jets? Man? It was. It was crazy when I got the call because we were waiting and were just waiting and waiting, and then I finally heard my phone ring. I'm talking about the whole room was just yellow. I'm just like, you gotta gotta be quiet. I gotta, I gotta hear what they gotta say. And then I finally got quiet, and then I finally heard what they had to say, and then we all just

burst into tears. How intense was that moment when you were talking to Jets personnel shortly after you were drafted? It was it was really tense. It was really tense. It was I kept tell him I'm ready, honestly, That's all I kept tell him. I can't wait, I'm ready. So take me through the emotions of the night, mackay, Because were you upset early because a lot of people thought you might be at times picks? And then did that change as soon as you heard your name called?

I was I'm not gonna. I was upset. I was. I was really upset, I mean I was. I was pissed, honestly. And then once I finally heard my name called, I just all that one out the window. I don't even care him. I just I just can't wait to get back. I just can't wait to get to the Jets. Honestly, what can you tell me about the bond do you have already established with Jets? GM Joe Douglas now that's

that's my guy. Honestly, you know because of me and him up from Richmond, so we too Richmond boys, so we know we know we're gonna have that connection automatically. So he was like the other thing when we were talking, he was naming streets that I know, So I'm just like, yo, like I know that street. So it was just great talking to him. You know, he was an offensive tackle himself at rich Man. Yeah, so did you guys talk shop? Yeah,

we talked that. We talked about that too, because I told him about the story what happened to me my freshman year. He said the same thing happened to him in his first year. So you know, we we cannot honestly, hey, what happened last year as far as where did you make your most significant strides? Because you were a different player in two thousand nineteen and two thousand eighteen, don't

you think? Yeah? I was? I was. I would say I would say the coaching change, honestly, because they left word. He came in and told me, like the things I was doing and I saw Maia would not correct at all, and he just clean the holy erased the whole board and just said this is what we're gonna do. And then then from that day when I just took his word and ran with it, do you think you got better as a technician last year? Definitely? Definitely I think

I did. So let me ask you. You played both right tackle and left tackle a Louisville, most recently left tackle. Do you prefer side? It doesn't really matter what'side wherever they want to be. Honestly, I'm ready. How would you say you are as a player if you're watching your cut ups? Um clearly the most dominant gauden field. And what kind of edge do you bring to the game as well? I bring a strong as I'm I always

played with the two of my shoulder. I promise you, I'm I'm a chip on the stand on my shoulder. It's not going anywhere and we keep playing like I never got it. Are there guys when you were growing up that you tried to model your game after. Yeah, Tarren Smith was one of those guys, Joe Thomas, Jonathan Odd, then Orlando Pace, just all those legends. Honestly, as you and bark on your onfl career, is that something you want to be yourself? You want to follow those footsteps

and become a legendary player in your own right. Definitely, I would. I would love to have my name in that same sentence as those greats. What do you think about joining a Jets offense that has a young quarterback in Sam Donald who's just twenty two years old and one of the most productive facts over the last twenty years in the National Football League and Levan pal I'm ready. We're gonna pick some things up the world. We talked about your edge, your nastiness. Uh, what about your athleticism

and what happened at the Indianapolis combine? Because I believe your time and the forty was what five point one second. I've always been an athlete. I've always been athletic for my size. People don't expect me to move as well as I do or just do the things I can do. So I've always been like, this is growing up. And after you ran the five point one in Indianapolis, you said you had a conversation with Chet's offensive line coach

Frank Pollard. What was shared during that time? He was just he pretty much asked me, how was my hamstring going? You've just been much telling me like, just make sure I get ready and stay ready to make sure I get it. Help you. You had a failed test at the Combine. What did you talk to Joe Douglas about, maybe in the lead up to the draft, to say, Hey, listen, UM, I'm gonna be good. I'm coming in here, I'm gonna be focused. I'm gonna be the player you need me

to be. Um to talk that Actually, the talk that we had the other day, it was it was about that. He was just calling me and trying to figure out what had happened. He said he wanted to see my face when I told him, and I guess that call went. Will six seven four pounds you just said before, you're about three sixty three right now? What wait? Would you like to play at that range? Threefive? Blessed with great footwork? How about your basketball background? How has that helped you

in your football career? It helped me a lot on my footwork and pass pro I can. I can recover quickly because of my feet, So I feel like basketball helped me a lot. McCay's just a memorable night for you, no doubt about that. Lastly, I just wanted to ask you, do you have a message for your new fans. That is Jets Nation. You guys were ready going to work. Just know that I'm ready. Just know I'm ready, young, I have to worry about nothing. I'm ready, just norm ready.

And there's a guy who's never been to New York before. How excited are you to get up here? Because I remember watching you at the combine and you said, I like New York's toughness and I like the grim nous. I'm excited. I can't wait to get to New York. I can't wait. M guy. We appreciate your time, congratulations and we'll see you out here soon. Thank you. Let's not take a look at how and where McKay Beckton

fits in on this Jets offensive line. We talked about that he's played both the left side and the right side. This offense of line is going to look much different than it did in two thousand nineteen. And when you think about who the Jets brought in that tackle, there's only one other guy in free agency. That's George Fan who also has experience on both sides of the line. And I think Joe Douglas said it best, let your

best five ride and we'll battle it out until that point. Yeah, that's what the Jets are gonna definitely do, and Douglas is going to repeat that throughout the off season as our top five will play. But offensive line wise, now we know that McKay Beckton's the tackle. He's not playing inside. He has the position flex that we we've discussed that he can play right side or left side. And speaking of flexibility, now the Fans signing comes into focus even more.

Green's because there's a guy who played right tackle and left tackle with the Seattle Seahawks. So yes, like Brian Baldinger will tell you, hey, you bring him McKay Backton and you put him on the left side New rock and Roll, and you blow the whistle and you're good. But let's see what happens because you could potentially use them at the right side. I'm not saying that's gonna happen. I'm saying they have options there. But now the tackle

position is starting to come into focus. With fan Chuma Doga was a third round pick last year, we got valuable playing time Connor McDermott still in an equation, and then they added camp Clark out of Charlotte in the fourth round as well, so you got more numbers than you did heading into the draft, and now you have a foundational pillar and McKay back. Then you're hoping this guy becomes a fixture up front for years. That was the first edition of the Draft Pick Profile series presented

by Verizon. The McKay backed in Edition E A and I will continue to break down each and every of the Jets draft class and next up Denzel Mims out of Baylor open as in sp