Assessing Redskins first-round options: Louisville OT Mekhi Becton
By Ian Cummings
Scouting Mekhi Becton
Mekhi Becton measured in at over 6-foot-7 and 368 pounds at the NFL Combine, with a wingspan of over 83 inches. His size has naturally spawned comparisons to current NFL starters Trent Brown and Orlando Brown, but Becton is in an entirely separate class athletically. His NFL Combine numbers do well to encapsulate this, and his tape does the same. Becton holds some natural appeal for the Redskins; unlike Tristan Wirfs and Jedrick Wills, Becton played primarily at left tackle with the Louisville Cardinals. Thus, there’s no overbearing translatability question — at least, not from a positional standpoint. Physically, however, it will be interesting to see how Becton projects on the NFL stage. He has all the traits, but what does that mean, in its entirety? Let’s take a look.
Pass Blocking – Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- Has good foot speed for his size, maintains control with movements
- Smooth, easy mover who can cover lots of ground with wide base
- Fairly fluid kicking out of his pass blocking stance, little wasted movement
- Can exert a great deal of power without having optimal leverage
- Does a great job squaring his shoulders and relinquishing no open space on the edge
- Has good patience in two-on-one situations, keeps himself well-centered
- Incredibly light on his feet and can bound from one spot to another in an instant
- Has the width and power to punish edge rushers who try to bend underneath him
- Has excellent awareness of spacing as he shuffles back with the rest of the pocket
- Hands, while unrefined, are quick and heavy, and present excellent upside
- Passing stance before the snap maximizes potential energy
- Has good knee bend when shuffling around the edge
- Maximum extension outreaches most defensive linemen, providing physical advantage
Weaknesses
- Hands can be a little sloppy, and penalties could be a problem initially in the NFL
- Hands can also be passive later on in reps, as Becton wins more with traits alone
- Can overlook blitzes off the edge and allow free rushers to pass around the boundary
- Opponents who can challenge his power will likely have better leverage
Pass Blocking Summary
All the highlights you’ll see of Becton will be in the running game, but I came away much more impressed with his pass protection. Even without totally refined hand technique, Becton has a consistency as a pass blocker on par with the other offensive tackles in the 2020 NFL Draft. Perhaps this is due to his consistent physical advantage; Becton has the smooth movement skills and light-footedness to shuffle effortlessly along the edge, as well as the overwhelming length and power to clamp down on rushers and render them inert upon first contact. Becton will need to be more active and consistent with his hands at the next level, but assuming he improves, he has the traits and the potential to be a lockdown blindside blocker. That’s not something to be taken lightly.
Run Blocking – Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- Crazy powerful, with the grip strength to toss opponents around the field
- Drawing attention to this bullet point for emphasis: Very powerful
- Length provides Becton with lots of flexibility, recovery potential
- Has impressive initial get-off at the snap
- Has the length and grip strength to set anchors
- Has a feel for angles as the play changes complexion
- Specializes at clearing lanes for running backs on outside runs
- Has a mauler’s mentality in one-on-one situations, bullies guys down the field
- Has impressive leg churn when he holds his anchor and maintains his balance
- Played with some bad weight; looked a lot slimmer at the NFL Combine
- Has pure people-moving abilities; allows running backs to hit open field with speed
- Shows flashes of scary forcefulness and mobility at the second level
Weaknesses
- Massive height severely limits his ability to maintain a low pad level
- Can overshoot angles off the snap and sacrifice leverage
- Balance can erode a bit when lowering his shoulders to crunch the middle
- Not as proactive of a moving blocker as one would like
- Has the mobility to flourish in this role, but doesn’t always indulge it
- Stunts can get the best of him and cause him to hesitate, giving up space
- Despite athleticism, needs a good amount of open field to reach full speed
- Knee bend is less apparent on run blocking snaps
- Able to get to the second level quickly, but doesn’t always try to stay involved in the play
- Has a tendency to occasionally engage in chop blocks, which won’t fly at the next level
- Sometimes prioritizes power over angle placement and leads the RB into a dead end
Run Blocking Summary
While Becton’s pass blocking is superb, his run blocking leaves more room for improvement, and there are some areas where Becton’s projected improvement might be minimal. Becton’s size and power show up again here, as he has unmatched imposed force at the point of attack, and the length to direct linemen around the field, opening up lanes. Becton has a floor as a decent run blocker based on these traits alone, but his inability to lower his pad level consistently due to his height will hurt him against more talented NFL linemen. Too often, the Louisville product plays too tall on run blocking reps, and while his length and power help him compensate, he’s working at a leverage disadvantage more often than one would like. With him being almost 6-foot-8, this issue might only have so much room for remedy. Becton could also be more consistent with his angle awareness and open-field blocking, but those are projections that are safer to make.
Mekhi Becton Overview
Becton deserves all the hype he’s getting as one of the top four offensive tackles in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he’s more of a projection that other tackles, given his physical traits and their byproducts. Becton shows great promise as a pass protector, and should be able to seamlessly transition to the NFL with his lateral mobility and power. As a run blocker, however, his height limits his ability to cultivate leverage, and although his combination of athleticism, power, and length gives him a high floor, he has some weaknesses that might not be ironed out of his game so easily. That said, pass blocking is the priority in the modern NFL, and Becton has the potential to be the best pass protector in this class. He’s a natural neutralizer with his rare blend of physical attributes, and with more seasoning, he can only become more dominant.