Photo: Arlington National Cemetery, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons²

Mekhi Becton

Guard, Green Bay Packers · #74.

Player facts

Team: Green Bay Packers
Position: Guard
Number: 74
Born: Apr 18, 1999 (age 27)
Birthplace: Highland Springs, VA, USA
Height: 6' 7"
Weight: 357 lbs
College: Louisville
Experience: 7 seasons
Status: Active

About

Mekhi Becton Sr. (born April 18, 1999), nicknamed "Big Ticket", is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals and was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. He has also played in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers.

From Wikipedia’s article on Mekhi Becton, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.¹

Background

Early life

Becton attended Highland Springs High School in Highland Springs, Virginia. He was regarded as a three-star prospect, ranked as the No. 43 offensive tackle and No. 405 overall recruit in the 247Sports Composite. Becton was recruited by 31 schools to play football, but by February 1, 2017, National Signing Day, he had narrowed the choice to five schools: Louisville, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Michigan, and Oregon. While he had been heavily recruited by Virginia, he ultimately chose Louisville on signing day.. He also played basketball in high school.

College career

Becton played as a freshman in the 2017 season. During his freshman year, Becton played in 13 games and started 11 for the Cardinals at the tackle position. During the first 4 games of the season, Becton was the highest rated freshman in the country by Pro Football Focus, and during the 7 he was the best pass-blocker in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), allowing only 6 pressures in 312 snaps.

Becton was named a starting tackle for the 2018 season and started every game, bringing his total number of games started to 23 by the end of the season. Becton was again named a starting tackle for the 2019 season. He received first team All-ACC honors after the conclusion of the regular season. Becton decided to forgo his senior season and sit out Louisville's bowl game, and declared for the 2020 NFL draft.