Offensive guard Mekhi Becton remains one of the biggest free agent names still available this late in the offseason.Â
And his availability gives the Carolina Panthers an opportunity to add an experienced option without giving up draft capital.
Becton also offers some upside. Injuries and poor form crushed his time with the New York Jets, but he found a new opportunity after signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024.Â
Mekhi Becton could add valuable depth to Carolina Panthers' offensive line
If the Panthers can just get him back to the form he showed during his time in Philadelphia, this could instantly solve their woes regarding interior depth behind Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis.
The No. 11 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft moved to guard and became a key part of the Eagles' offensive line, starting 15 games during their Super Bowl-winning season. That could be huge for quarterback Bryce Young and the offense if either Lewis or Hunt is forced to miss time.
That resurgence earned Becton a two-year, $20 million contract from the Los Angeles Chargers in 2025. He started 14 games before the AFC West club released him this offseason, saving nearly $10 million against the salary cap.
It's an option, but there are also legitimate reasons for caution.
Becton's injury history is very long, and his 2025 performance did not live up to his contract. For what it's worth these days, the Louisville product ranked 79th among 81 qualifying guards in Pro Football Focus grading.
Still, the potential reward makes him worth considering.
Carolina Panthers cannot leave anything to chance along their protection
The Panthers already invested heavily in rebuilding their protection in front of Young. They signed Rasheed Walker in free agency. They also spent the No. 19 pick on Monroe Freeling and took Sam Hecht in the fifth.
Adding Becton would give the Panthers another experienced option while creating competition for playing time. Essentially, this would be a low-risk, high-reward signing.
At this point in the offseason, Carolina does not need to view Becton as an automatic starter. Nor should they.
Instead, the Panthers could bring him in on a reasonable short-term contract and see whether he can rediscover the form that made him an important part of Philadelphia's Super Bowl-winning offensive line.
Becton's availability is especially interesting because he is still young enough to potentially have several productive seasons ahead of him. For a Panthers team trying to take another step forward, adding that kind of experienced competition to the offensive line makes a whole lot of sense.
While Becton is far from a sure thing, Carolina has enough reason to take the chance.
If he stays healthy and returns to anything close to his Philadelphia form, the Panthers could end up getting significantly more out of the investment than they paid for it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google