Eagles Could Lose Former First Round Pick to AFC East in Free Agency

If we’re talking about what team has the NFL’s best offensive line, the conversation should probably begin and end with the Philadelphia Eagles, who have opened holes for the greatest single rushing season in franchise history for running back Saquon Barkley in 2024.

A large part of that success has been 6-foot-7, 363-pound guard Mekhi Becton, who they signed to a 1-year, $2.75 million “prove it” contract in April 2024 and have watched him dominate defenders all season.

Now, Becton is in line to get super duper paid in 2025 — likely by a team other than the Eagles.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine thinks Becton could be a perfect fit for the Miami Dolphins in the AFC East in free agency.

“The Dolphins should be looking for ways to clear the money to target (Becton),” Ballentine wrote. “Massive and mauling guards have become en vogue for several teams from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. Miami could benefit from joining the movement with Becton.”

Becton’s career makeover in Philadelphia has come with a position change after he spent the first 4 seasons of his career at offensive tackle with the New York Jets.

With a new team and a new position, Becton is playing for a winner for the first time in his career — the Eagles are on a 9-game winning streak and have an 11-2 record headed into a Week 15 home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Becton Spent First Part of Career in NFL Wasteland

The New York Jets selected Becton in the first round (No. 11 overall) of the 2020 NFL draft out of Louisville only to send him into football purgatory for the next 4 seasons — a stretch in which the the Jets went 20-47 and had double-digit losses each year.

In that time, Becton missed 33 consecutive games — all but 1 game in 2021 and all of 2022 with major knee injuries. He returned in 2023 to start 16 games, but those injury issues let the Eagle get him at a bargain-basement price. He’s been stellar in 10 starts in 2024 with a 76.0 overall grade from PFF.

“And you just see (Becton), like sometimes it just looks like he’s just delivering like a two-handed shove,” Sheil Kapadia said on “The Ringer’s Philly Special” podcast on November 27. “And the guys are going flying from like one hashmark to the other hashmark … it really is incredible. When it hits for him, it really hits in a fun way that is, like, wildly entertaining when it’s a big man in a game of big men. When one big man is more powerful than the other big man, it really stands out.”

What Becton’s Next Contract Might Look Like

That Becton could once again command big money is a testament to how much things have turned around for him — remember the Jets declined the $13.565 million fifth year option on his rookie contract before the 2023 season.

At just 25 years old, Becton could be looking at a deal that makes him one of the highest-paid players at his position in the NFL. According to Over the Cap, the average annual salary of the top 10 highest paid right guards in the NFL was at $15 million in 2024.