Mekhi Becton's drug test won't hurt stock in upcoming NFL Draft: report
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If former Louisville offensive lineman Mekhi Becton drops further than expected in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft, it doesn’t seem like the flagged drug test from the NFL Combine would be the reason why.
Teams are not concerned about the drug test as much as they are about Becton’s weight, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. said Sunday on SportsCenter.
“I think you look at where he could go, maybe he doesn’t go 10, maybe gets into the middle, some think maybe into the 20s,” Kiper said. “I don’t think that’s going to be that big an issue. I think the managing the weight; you know 363, 364 at the combine. Will he keep that weight around 360, 365, or balloon up to 380? I think managing the weight will determine what type of left tackle, offensive tackle Mekhi Becton is. I don’t think the concern is over this, as much as that. So to me, it’s not going to push him down all that far.”
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Reports revealed on Friday that Becton was one of “multiple players” whose drug tests were flagged at the combine back in February. All 32 teams were notified that Becton’s drug test from the NFL Combine had been flagged, according to NFL Network.
It wasn’t immediately clear which other players had also been flagged.
Becton is considered a potential top 10 pick going into the draft, which will begin on Thursday, and will likely be one of the first offensive linemen off the board.
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According to the NFL Network, Becton will have to undergo Stage 1 of the NFL’s Drug Intervention Program for no more than 60 days. Under the rules set by the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, if he has no other issues during that period he will “thereafter assume the same status as players who have never been referred to the Intervention Program.”
At 6-foot-7, 364 pounds, Becton ran a 5.1 40-yard dash and recorded 23 reps at the bench press at the combine.
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Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.