Mekhi Becton drug test – Syndication Server

Jets OT Mekhi Becton calls flagged combine drug test ‘a one-time mistake’

Jets first-round pick Mekhi Becton vowed his flagged drug test at the NFL draft combine would never happen again on Thursday night.

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Jets’ first-round pick Mekhi Becton is ready to move past his flagged drug test at the NFL draft combine in February.

Becton’s flagged test landed him in Stage 1 of the NFL’s program for drug use. Becton must now complete 60 days in the program without failing a single drug test — something he vows will not be an issue.

“Just a young mistake,” Becton told reporters of the flagged test. “It was a one-time mistake and it’s never going to happen again.”

It came as a surprise when news of Becton’s flagged drug test surfaced, as he never had any such issues throughout his college career. Vince Tyra, Louisville’s athletic director, even went to bat for Becton, praising his character.

“I’m sure he’ll address it properly,” Tyra said. “He is terrific. He’s a great talent, but I will tell you he’s an awesome person. I would tell you it would be a surprise if he had a failed test. He’s just been a model student-athlete for us. I’m not worried about him. He is going to have a great career. I don’t think he’s going to be trouble for any teams.”

As long as he completes the NFL’s program for drug use, Becton will not be subject to punishment by the league. That opens the door for him to begin 2020 as one of New York’s starters at tackle if he progresses as Joe Douglas and company expect throughout the offseason.

WATCH: Highlights of new Jets OT Mekhi Becton

Chek out these highlights of new Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton.

The New York Jets have found their man to protect Sam Darnold’s blindside in Louisville’s Mekhi Becton.

Becton is the one of the biggest players in this year’s draft standing at 6-foot-7, 364 pounds. A former basketball player, he’s also a freak athlete who ran a 5.1-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Becton can play both tackle spots, as he started 12 games last season for Louisville with 10 games at left tackle and two games at right tackle. The biggest concerns with Becton entering the draft were his weight and his flagged drug test at the combine, but Jets officials obviously didn’t make much of either.

Here are some highlights from Becton’s Louisville career:

How Mekhi Becton’s failed drug test could impact Jets’ draft plans

The Jets Wire takes a look at how Mekhi Becton’s flagged drug test could alter the New York Jets’ draft strategy come this Thursday.

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.