Larry Henry Jr
Making the move from offensive tackle to guard might be a challenge for some NFL players but it didn’t look that way for Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Mekhi Becton.
Becton, who joined the Eagles as a free agent signing this past offseason, made his first start at guard in last Friday’s 34-29 victory over the Green Bay Packers. A former 2020 first round draft pick by the New York Jets, Becton has shifted into an interior line role in Kellen Moore’s offense and delivered a solid overall showing in Week 1.
The Eagles offensive line certainly created holes for running back Saquon Barkley, who logged 109 yards on the ground in his team debut as well. In addition, the line only conceded two sacks to the Packers’ impressive defensive front, helping quarterback Jalen Hurts stay on his feet for most of the game.
The 363 lb. Becton still has a long way to go in the 2024 NFL season, but Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni was pleased with what he saw against a good Green Bay side.
“I thought they {Mekhi Becton and Cam Jurgens] did a nice job,” Sirianni told reporters Tuesday. “[G/T] Mehki [Becton] is so big, and what you saw there with Mehki on Friday night was he was controlling the guy — he was going against good players, right? That’s a good front.
“He was controlling them at the line of scrimmage and there wasn’t a lot of pushback into [QB] Jalen [Hurts’] face because he is so big and so long that he was able to control there,” Sirianni added. “So, I thought he did a really nice job, particularly in the pass game, of keeping the pocket firm inside. But I thought Mehki did a really nice job his first game starting at guard.”
The Eagles will seek a first home win of the 2024 season on Monday Night Football against the visiting Atlanta Falcons.
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