New York Jets select Mekhi Becton with No. 11 overall pick of 2020 NFL Draft
Mekhi Becton didn't have to wait long to hear his name called, as the former University of Louisville offensive tackle has been selected by the New York Jets with the No. 11 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
He is Louisville's third-highest NFL Draft selection in school history, and the highest since Amobi Okoye at No. 10 overall in 2007. Becton is the 16th first round pick in program history.
List of Louisville's first-round NFL Draft picks
| Year | Player | Pick | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Mekhi Becton | 11 | New York Jets |
2018 | Jaire Alexander | 18 | Green Bay Packers |
2018 | Lamar Jackson | 32 | Baltimore Ravens |
2016 | Sheldon Rankins | 12 | New Orleans Saints |
2015 | DeVante Parker | 14 | Miami Dolphins |
2014 | Calvin Pryor | 18 | New York Jets |
2014 | Marcus Smith | 26 | Philadelphia Eagles |
2014 | Teddy Bridgewater | 32 | Minnesota Vikings |
2009 | Eric Wood | 28 | Buffalo Bills |
2007 | Amobi Okoye | 10 | Houston Texans |
1994 | Joe Johnson | 13 | New Orleans Saints |
1991 | Ted Washington | 25 | San Francisco 49ers |
1987 | Bruce Armstrong | 23 | New England Patriots |
1980 | Otis Wilson | 19 | Chicago Bears |
1964 | Ken Kortas | 9 | St. Louis Cardinals |
1958 | Lenny Lyles | 11 | Baltimore Colts |
Following a 2019 campaign that earned him First Team All-ACC honors and an impressive 2020 NFL Combine, Becton shot up draft boards and was regarded as one of the top offensive lineman prospects in the draft.
Becton was ranked as the the No. 15 overall prospect in Sports Illustrated's Top 100 Big Board 3.0, citing the combination of his size, strength and maneuverability as his biggest asset.
At six-foot-seven and 364-pounds, he is an absolute mauler in the run game. But the criticisms of his pass protection abilities from scouts prevented him from being the consensus No. 1 offensive tackle prospect, with many favoring Alabama's Jedrick Wills, Jr. and Iowa's Tristan Wirfs.
Last week, it was reported that Becton was one of multiple players to have a drug test flagged from the NFL Combine back in March. He is now in Stage 1 of the Substances of Abuse Intervention Program, but Louisville athletic director Vince Tyra nor offensive coordinator Dwayne Ledford were concerned about his future in the league.
"I don't think he's going to be any trouble for any teams," Tyra said to ESPN's Josina Anderson, with Ledford also saying that to reporters that Becton "was a guy that I never worried outside of football or doing anything wrong.”
Related: Mekhi Becton wanted to be the best tackle in college football
Becton had also made pre-draft headlines after an anonymous scout criticized him "because he loves to cook and eat" more than he loves football.
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