New York Jets rookie Mekhi Becton and Cameron Clark hit it off during the pre-draft process. Their friendship could pay off big on the field
New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas put in a lot of work to fix the offensive line this offseason. That includes spending two draft picks on the line by selecting Mekhi Becton and Cameron Clark.
Becton is expected to be the team’s starting left tackle from day one. Clark, on the other hand, is expected to be a backup. The former Charlotte 49er is expected to kick inside to guard and take a year behind Alex Lewis, Greg Van Roten, and Brian Winters to learn the position.
The long-term hope is that Becton and Clark will anchor the left side of the Jets’ offensive line for the foreseeable future. Clark wouldn’t have it any other way.
In an interview with the media over Zoom via SNY, Clark talked about the bond he formed with Becton during the pre-draft process.
“We just kinda hit it off from the jump,” Clark said Monday. “It was a group of us like five of us that was real close when we were training and me and Mekhi were one of those guys. So we were always just joking, playing around together. We worked hard. I said we know when to work, we know when to play, but we always got our work in.”
Clark continued to talk about his relationship with Becton. He believes that having a friendly face in the locker room will help both of them grow into better players.
“It’s just crazy seeing someone and actually knowing someone in the meetings, so I feel like that’s going to pay dividends especially once we get up to New York and we can help each other out.”
This is music to the ears of Jets fans. The last time the Jets had offensive linemen with a bond like this was 2006. D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold didn’t immediately hit it off like Clark and Becton, but they became close friends fast. The two ended up anchoring the Jets’ offensive line for a decade.
If Becton and Clark could be anything like Brick and Mangold, then the Jets hit the jackpot.
