Mekhi Becton is an American football offensive tackle for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). Born on April 18, 1999, he played college football at Louisville and was drafted by the team in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The offensive lineman staggered off the field and into the locker room after getting hurt during team drills in the training camp workout on August 8th, before the advent of 2022 season. 

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Becton was raised at Highland Springs and went to Richmond, Virginia’s Highland Springs High School. He was rated as a three-star recruit and was listed as the No. 43 offensive tackle in the 247Sports Composite. Becton received football recruiting from 31 colleges, but by National Signing Day on February 1, 2017, he had settled on five institutions: Louisville, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Michigan, and Oregon. Although Virginia had put in a strong recruiting effort for him, on signing day he decided for Louisville.

The New York Jets selected Becton with the 11th overall choice in the 2020 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, he played in 14 games and started in 13. Becton was carried off the field on September 12, 2021, after sustaining what seemed to be a knee injury. Becton underwent surgery to repair cartilage damage, which kept him out of commission for 4-6 weeks. On September 14, 2021, he was placed on injured reserve. He completed the 2021 season playing just a single game.

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The 23-year-old also got injured before the 2022 season in a practise drill. According to reporters on the scene, after tumbling to the ground, he clutched his leg and made an effort to stand up. He required assistance from the coaching staff to stand up and leave the field. From there, he took off his protective gear and hobbled gingerly to the locker room, pausing briefly to allow trainers to check his leg. 

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Robert Saleh, the head coach, announced that Becton will have an MRI on his knee after practise. Saleh observed that the preliminary testing revealed the knee was ‘stable,’ so there is hope that the damage is not severe.