Mekhi Becton leaves Jets practice after helmet-to-helmet collision, is being evaluated for possible concussion

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Jets left tackle Mekhi Becton left practice after a helmet-to-helmet collision with another player and is being evaluated for a possible concussion.

Becton was hurt early in the first 11-on-11 period of Tuesday’s joint practice with the Eagles. The 6-7 Becton walked wobbly as he left the field and vomited on the sideline. He was looked at by trainers before walking slowly into the Jets’ facility.

It was another shaky day overall for the Jets’ offensive line, which is becoming a trend in practice against first-team defenses.

The first two times Zach Wilson dropped back against the Eagles’ starting defense he was "sacked." He was "sacked" repeatedly last week during joint practices with the Packers. The Eagles’ defense got to Wilson at least four times on Tuesday.

Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said on Thursday that the pass protection hasn’t been for good for about two weeks. Robert Saleh said the Jets need improvement in all areas.

"I’ll speak for the entire team: Offense, defense, special teams, nothing is where we want it to be," Saleh said after Tuesday’s practice. "I know that’s what’s going to catch the headline, but that’s part of training camp. We’re building. We’re trying to get ourselves better, we’re working every single day and the reality is, we’ll never be where we want to be.

"You can ask me on a 16-0 team, and I’ll tell you we’re still not where we want to be."

Wilson has had good protection in the Jets’ preseason games. He’s 15-for-20 for 191 yards and two touchdown passes in six series, and he hasn’t been sacked once. But the Jets also haven’t faced a first-team defense.

Before Carl Lawson suffered a season-ending Achilles rupture last week, he and the Jets’ starting defensive line were blowing up plays in practice. Then it happened in Green Bay and now against the Eagles.

The Jets have had their projected starting offensive line together for only a few practices. Rookie left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker returned Tuesday after missing three weeks with a pec strain, but he played limited snaps.

Still, Saleh said he’s not concerned about the line’s play because the Jets are not scheming for protection at this point in camp.

"We’re doing some third-down periods where offense isn’t exactly trying to scheme up protection to create space and they’re not exactly trying to get rid of the ball," Saleh said. "There’s going to be screen game. There’s going to be a lot of different elements to help protection, there’s going to be the quarterback getting rid of the ball.

"If you can work your play-action passes, your run game, screen game, the little tricks and gadgets that you have, you have a chance to allow your quarterback to give him 15-20 (opportunities) to actually drop back, which will mitigate and eliminate some pressure. What’s happening at practice there’s going to be people around his feet. It is what it is."

There is obvious concern for Becton, though. George Fant moved over to left tackle with Morgan Moses at right tackle with the starters after Becton left practice.

Becton has had struggles in camp. But it would be a huge loss if Becton missed significant time. It also would be tough for Becton, who is still learning the outside zone blocking scheme that LaFleur is running.

LaFleur said last week that "Mekhi’s going through some things right now." Saleh expanded on that. He said Becton’s weight and conditioning are fine but he’s a little behind from missing just about all of OTAs with a foot injury.

"It is a completely different scheme that he’s in, not only run game, but from a protection standpoint," Saleh said. "This outside zone scheme, it’s not just inside zone, maul the guy in front of you because you’re just a big human. We’re trying to extract the athleticism that he has, which he does. And there’s an adjustment that he’s got to go through.

"But we like where Mekhi’s going and we got to continue to build on the positive and keep showing when he does do it right harp on that and correct the times when it’s not."