How a former Olympian’s Dallas-area facility is helping two top NFL prospects
There’s one reason Louisville’s Mekhi Becton and Houston’s Josh Jones decided to prepare for the NFL Scouting Combine at Michael Johnson Performance.
No, it’s not because of the Olympic great who founded the facility. Both were drawn to MJP because of the facility’s relationship with offensive line guru Duke Manyweather.
“Being able to train with Duke? I had to come here,” said Becton, who is a Top-10 talent.
Said Jones, another first-round prospect: “I knew Duke a little bit before this combine prep, but that’s the big reason I decided to come down to MJP.”
Along with Becton and Jones, MJP has attracted other offensive tackle prospects in Kansas’ Hakeem Adeniji and Georgia Tech’s Jared Southers.
To Johnson, being affiliated with Manyweather is simply a statement of how committed his facility is to surrounding NFL prospects with the best mentors possible.
This year’s MJP class has 40-plus NFL Draft hopefuls, including 28 with invites to next week’s combine in Indianapolis. The draft will be April 23-25 in Las Vegas.
“We’ve got the best strength coaches we could find,” Johnson said. “We’ve got the best mental preparation we could find. We’ve got the best interview prep we could find. Everybody we try to bring in is the best we can find and the best in their field.
“Certainly having Duke on board, he knows what he’s doing. He’s got great experience. A lot of it is understanding the position these athletes are in and what they’re up against and what they’re going to need to do at the combine and how you coach that.”
For Johnson, speed remains a specialty for his facility. Last year, Texas A&M’s Erik McCoy trained at MJP and posted the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.89 seconds) among offensive linemen at the combine.
Becton, Jones and the rest of the O-line corps at MJP hope to follow suit.
Becton, who is 6-foot-8, 359 pounds, has been pleased with his training so far. He hopes to solidify himself as the top OT in this year’s class next week.
“I really feel I’m at the top,” Becton said. “I feel like I’m real physical. I’m dominant. I can do anything on the field.”
Becton likes watching a number of tackles at the next level, including the Dallas Cowboys’ Tyron Smith.
“I just like how dominant he is, how much he finishes,” Becton said. “He just plays the game with a chip on his shoulder. I want to meet him one day.”
As far as Jones is concerned, he pointed to the Eagles’ Lane Johnson.
“He’s an athletic guy,” Jones said. “He can move so well. I know I have the ability to move, maybe not just like him, but just his dedication to the game. I talked to him a little bit and he gave me some words of advice.”
Jones believes he is worthy of a first-round selection and will be looking to answer any questions about his game at the combine. At 6-foot-5, 311 pounds, Jones is known for his athletic feet and body control.
He also wants to showcase his competitiveness to NFL evaluators.
“I compete at everything I do,” Jones said. “On the field, off the field, I love to compete. That’s what drives me home every single day. Every time I step into a work mindset, I’m working.”
