New York Jets select Mekhi Becton with No. 11 overall pick of 2020 NFL Draft

The former Louisville offensive tackle is now a Jet

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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