Mekhi Becton, Louisville’s speedy mammoth, drafted by NFL’s N.Y. Jets in first round
University of Louisville star Mekhi Becton was taken 11th overall by the New York Jets in the first round of the NFL Draft.
The offensive tackle became the 16th player from Louisville to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft and its first since cornerback Jaire Alexander (18th overall to Green Bay) and Lamar Jackson (32nd overall to Baltimore) were both selected in 2018’s first round.
Becton became the second U of L lineman to be selected in the first round and the school’s highest selection ever from that position group. Eric Wood, a center who was picked 28th overall by Buffalo in 2009, and Bruce Armstrong, a tackle picked 23rd overall by New England in 1987, were the school’s only offensive lineman previously picked in that round.
“He brings an edge for us,” Jets head coach Adam Gase said on a conference call, according to the Associated Press. “He brings nasty to our offensive line room.”
Becton, the AP reported, agreed with that assessment by his new coach.
“I think my demeanor is real nasty,” he said with a smile during a Zoom call with reporters. “I like to see the man on the ground stay on the ground.”
Becton — a 6-foot-7, 364-pound hulk — was graded as a year-one quality starter by NFL.com ahead of the draft. His weight and quickness will be concerns, as with all “really big prospects,” according to NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein, but they’ll be manageable as long as he’s disciplined.
“Becton’s combination of movement and force should allow him to fit easily into all running schemes, but he needs to play with better patience in order to control and redirect all that mass into centered blocks in both run and pass,” Zierlein wrote. “His technique and set-up are better than expected in pass pro, while his size and length allow him to recover and redirect both inside and outside rushes.”
He was already considered a top-10 lock by most analysts, but Becton — the heaviest player to weigh in at the combine by 14 pounds — cemented that status after posting a 5.1 in the 40-yard dash during the draft combine; it was the 13th fastest time by an offensive lineman at this year’s event.
According to ESPN research, Becton is the heaviest player to run a sub-5.2 in the 40-yard dash since 2006.
The Atlantic Coast Conference named Becton as the best blocker in the league and to its First Team All-Offense squad in 2019. Becton started 34 games in three years at Louisville but elected not to play for the Cardinals in their latest bowl appearance, a 38-28 win over Mississippi State in the Music City Bowl.
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 9:36 PM.
