Former Louisville left tackle and Jets draft target Mekhi Becton had a drug test flagged at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The 6-foot-7, 367-pound tackle is aware of the flagged drug test and has addressed the situation with multiple clubs while still waiting for the official notification, according to ESPN. Becton will go into Stage 1 of the league’s intervention program for no more than 60 days under the NFL’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement. If Becton is not flagged again within those next 60 days, he would assume the same status as players who have never been referred to the program, Rapoport reports.
Although Becton did not have a history of failed tests in college, this one could still hinder his draft stock. He could see a fall in the draft similar to what offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil went through in the 2016 draft after a video of him smoking marijuana mysteriously appeared on his Twitter feed.
Becton’s flagged test could directly impact the Jets’ draft strategy. It’s no secret that the team is leaning toward taking an offensive tackle with the 11th pick, but there remains a chance that Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr. and Georgia’s Andrew Thomas could all come off the board before the Jets are on the clock.
That could put the Jets’ in a sticky situation if Becton is the only tackle left. Joe Douglas has preached improving the Jets’ culture and, while it would be unfair to characterize Becton as someone with a character issue after one isolated incident, sometimes that’s the way of the NFL. With potentially three offensive tackles off the board and Becton sliding, it could shift the Jets’ attention to wide receiver at No. 11.
The Jets have done their homework on Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb and Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy. So, if they take issue with Becton’s test and don’t have other tackles to choose from, any of those wideouts are in play.
Becton has been linked to the Jets since the combine. As of now, he remains one of the team’s primary targets. Becton was the only one of the top offensive tackles to visit the Jets multiple times in the pre-draft process before visits were shut down due to the pandemic. He has the athleticism and mobility for his size to come in and play either tackle position, something that Douglas has emphasized in his search for offensive linemen this offseason.