Some people in the NFL believe Mekhi Becton is a top-10 OT

Perhaps no player on the NY Jets roster has received more criticism over the last 12 months than offensive tackle Mekhi Becton. It's up to the individual to determine how much of said criticism was warranted, but the point still stands.

Becton has been lambasted for his work ethic, weight, and everything in between. All the while, he hasn't even suited up for an NFL game in close to a year.

While many are down on Becton, he still has plenty of supporters around the NFL. That much was evident in a recent poll of 50+ NFL executives, coaches, players, etc. conducted by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

The poll set out to determine the top-10 offensive tackles in the league, and while Becton fell outside the top 10, he did land in the "also receiving votes" category, meaning that some do believe he belongs in the top 10.

NY Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton has plenty of fans around the NFL

It's been a contentious calendar year, to say the least, for the former No. 11 overall pick. Becton reportedly struggled in training camp last summer, suffered a significant knee injury in Week 1, and never returned to the field despite being given a misleading 4-8 week recovery timetable.

The 23-year-old has spent the offseason rehabbing his knee all the while battling reports that he was out of shape and that the Jets were "frustrated" with his lack of progress.

Those rumors continued when Becton failed to show up for voluntary OTAs this spring as he was at home attending to his newborn child. Reports then emerged that the Jets were very unhappy with the physical shape Becton showed up to mandatory minicamp in.

But despite the Jets' reported frustrations and the endless backlash from fans and the media, Becton still has plenty of supporters around the NFL.

A year ago at this time, Becton was ranked as the sixth-best offensive tackle in the entire NFL on this exact same poll. Clearly, there are many around the league who see Becton's potential and still believe he will reach it.

Mekhi Becton will have a chance to silence his doubters and prove his supporters right this season. All eyes are on big No. 77.