When Jeff Stoutland approached Mekhi Becton about taking snaps at guard, the longtime left tackle didn’t balk.
The 6-foot-7, 363-pound offensive lineman played exclusively at tackle in college at Louisville and during his four-year stint with the New York Jets before signing with the Eagles this offseason. Still, he hasn’t chafed at the offensive line coach’s request to bump inside as he embarks on a pivotal year, trying to reverse course on his career.
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“When you’ve got a coach like Coach Stoutland,” Becton said Thursday before the final practice of the Eagles’ mandatory minicamp, “the way he treats his players and the way he talks to them, you want to do whatever for him. Once he came up to me with the opportunity, I was all for it. I like to try new things anyway.”
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Going into training camp next month, Becton has a chance to be the first man up at multiple spots on the Eagles offensive line. He spent the entirety of the three-day minicamp playing at left guard in place of Landon Dickerson, who missed the practices in an excused absence, according to coach Nick Sirianni. During the team’s two voluntary practice sessions open to the media last month with Dickerson in attendance, Becton spent the majority of his time playing right tackle in place of an absent Lane Johnson.
While the 25-year-old signed with the Eagles with the expectation that he’d compete for the primary reserve tackle spot behind Johnson and Jordan Mailata, his versatility has surprised Stoutland.
“I didn’t realize he was able to play other positions,” Stoutland said. “That in itself, just to have that swing value — and a willingness to want do it — he’s a fun guy to coach. He loves football.”
Stoutland’s previous uncertainty about Becton’s versatility is reasonable. The 2020 first-round pick started his career at left tackle with the New York Jets and was resistant to switching to the right side after suffering a right knee injury in the season opener of the 2021 season that sidelined him for the remainder of the year. He injured the same knee in the following training camp and said last year that he didn’t consider himself a natural right tackle. Becton sat out the entire 2022 season.
“I got drafted as a left tackle,” Becton told Newsday in 2023. “I dominated as a left tackle my rookie year, and I was going to dominate my second year, and that unfortunate injury happened. 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.”
Becton, who acknowledged Thursday that he wasn’t always as open to changing positions as he is now, said a quick glance at the Eagles’ depth chart on the offensive line was enough to change his tune.
“When you already have two tackles like Jordan and Lane, that’s where it came in,” Becton said.
It’s only fair to point out that Becton may not have the leverage he once did. The Jets declined to pick up his fifth-year option last offseason, and even though Becton started 16 games primarily at left tackle in 2023, they selected Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
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Becton conceded that he had “ups and downs” with his relationships inside the Jets organization, and called his free-agency process “aggravating” because it required a great deal of patience as the first few waves of players signed deals. Becton signed with the Eagles one day after the draft, citing a chance to work with Mailata, Johnson, and Stoutland as a major reason for his decision.
“I’ve got Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata in the same room,” Becton said. “Those are two guys that I look up to. They’re great players. I’ve got Coach Stout and then we’ve got a great team here with Jalen Hurts, Saquon [Barkley], A.J. [Brown]. Just seeing all of the firepower with this team, it just made sense.”
“I wanted him to be my coach,” Becton added about Stoutland. “Once I heard that there was a chance, I was really excited.”
Whether it’s at guard or tackle, Becton will have a chance to fill a role the Eagles have valued in the past: the top reserve at multiple spots along the offensive line. From Halapoulivaati Vaitai to Mailata and Jack Driscoll, the team has often relied on a reserve tackle to step in during big moments many times in the last several years.
Although Becton could potentially find a better opportunity to start elsewhere next season with a strong showing with the Eagles, he said he’s hoping to stick with the team going into his first training camp.
“I would love it to be long-term,” Becton said. “I love the city of Philly, I love the people here, I love the fans. I hope it’s long-term.”
