#Jets veteran Steve McLendon opens up on 2020 team

He is as revered in the Jets’ locker room as much as a player can be anywhere, an undrafted free agent out of Troy who was cut five times before an indestructible will allowed him to beat the odds, and here he is now at age 34, the mentor, the voice of reason and wisdom. So when Steve McLendon talks, people listen.

So listen as the Jets nose tackle talks state of the team in a phone interview with The Post and starts with 6-foot-7, 370-pound rookie offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, the biggest man he has encountered since 6-8, 359-pound Raiders offensive tackle Trent Brown:

“With a guy that big, that physical that can move, that’s just a train with no brakes. Once it gets going it’s hard to stop.”

Everyone, McLendon included, has been impressed with Becton’s growing grasp of the playbook and his thirst for knowledge.

“He’s a student of the game, that’s been amazing as a rookie just coming in that’s playing right away,” McLendon said. “He wants to know why is he getting beat if he gets beat, and, ‘How can I get better at it?’ He’s not one of those guys that’s gonna hang his head and be like, ‘Dang.’ He wants to know, ‘What did you do? What was your thought process? What did you see?’ He’s coming to you wide awake, ’cause he wants to know. He can learn from his mistakes very fast.”

Listen as McLendon talks about defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, the third-overall pick in the 2019 draft.

“He’s focused, and he’s absolutely driven,” McLendon said. “It’s just his level of understanding of the game, the game’s slowing down, he’s in great shape. By him learning the game now, for him personally, he’s looking at it’s time for him to show the reason why he was drafted at [No.] 3. He’s not even trying to prove anybody wrong, but he’s trying to prove to himself that he’s right.”

Williams underachieved as a rookie (2.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, 28 combined tackles in 13 games).

“For a big guy, he’s very athletic,” McLendon said. “The No. 1 thing he did, he got stronger and he got explosive.”

Sam Darnold is the unquestioned leader of the offense.

“He’s taking control, and that’s all you want to see in your quarterback, is take control, and he’s doing that,” McLendon said.

McLendon won’t compare Darnold to former Steelers teammate Ben Roethlisberger.

“But I can say this: I feel like Sam can and will lead a team into the postseason,” he said.

His former Steelers teammate Le’Veon Bell has reported in the best shape of his life.

“He’s a running back that can do it all,” McLendon said.

Becton is joined on the overhauled offensive line by veteran center Connor McGovern.

“Very smart guy. … He’s not coming here to lose, he’s coming here to win,” McLendon said.

Greg Van Roten is the new right guard.

“Very smart, but he has a great personality,” McLendon said. “He wants to make sure that we’re working hard, we’re doing the right thing, but he also wants you to make sure you’re doing it with a smile.”

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“He is most definitely driven,” McLendon said. “That’s all you want in your leader, that’s all we need, for him to stay fired up.”

McLendon has faith that his blunt, X-rated defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, can withstand the loss of Jamal Adams and C.J. Mosley.

“He gets on me. That’s what I like. A player loves to be coached,” he said.

McLendon is a player they all love to coach.

“I’m very thankful for having McLendon back in the room. I call him kind of Last of the Mohicans,” defensive line coach Andre Carter said. “Here’s a guy that kind of just fought tooth and nail to make a name for himself, and so his story is a testament of what it really takes to be an elite NFL player and to get double digits in the league.”

McLendon named his top-of-the-line athletic training facility in Flowery Branch, Ga., Team MVP Gym because there is no “I” in McLendon.

“It all started off with a dream and a vision that could help others, to uplift others and encourage others, and I needed to do something that I love doing as well,” McLendon said.

He is still helping, still uplifting, still encouraging, still loving what he’s doing. It is why when Steve McLendon talks, you listen.