Jets OT Mekhi Becton to miss four to eight weeks after undergoing knee surgery

Jets tackle Mekhi Becton will miss anywhere between four to eight weeks after undergoing knee surgery, according to head coach Robert Saleh. This is already a longer timetable than initially projected — early reports pegged Becton at four to six weeks.

Becton, the Jets’ 2020 first-round pick, went down early in the season opener against the Panthers. The Jets went on to lose 19-14. Becton will be sorely missed for the next month or two, starting with Sunday’s tilt against the Patriots.

The Jets will deploy George Fant at left tackle while Morgan Moses mans the right side. The Jets are surely glad that they picked up the longtime Washington starter in June. Ideally, Moses would be serving as the No. 3 tackle behind Becton and Fant. But, with Becton out of action for several weeks, he’ll be playing a much more key role on the front five.

Moses went six straight seasons without missing a game for the Washington Football Team, but they opted to revamp their tackle group with rookie Samuel Cosmi and ex-Bears LT Charles Leno. According to the advanced metrics, 2020 might have been Moses’ best year yet as he placed top-20 for tackles, per Pro Football Focus. Before that, the advanced metrics framed him as a middle-of-the-road blocker from 2017 through 2019.

In a best-case scenario, the Jets could have Becton return after their bye. The next week, on Oct. 24, they’ll face the Pats for a second time.