Louisville AD Praises Mekhi Becton After Reported Failed Drug Test at Combine

NFL draft prospect Mekhi Becton is getting a major vote of confidence in the wake of a report he failed a drug test at the NFL Scouting Combine. 

Louisville athletic director Vince Tyra reached out to ESPN's Josina Anderson to throw his support behind the former Cardinals star.

"He's just been a model student-athlete for us," Tyra said. "I'm not worried about him. ... He is going to have a great career. I don't think he's going to be any trouble for any teams." 

According to NFL analyst Ian Rapoport, the offensive tackle did not fail any drug tests while in college. 

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller projects the offensive tackle as a mid-first-round pick and named him the fourth-best prospect at his position this year. 

Standing 6'7" and weighing in at 364 pounds, Becton stood out at the combine by running the 40-yard dash in 5.1 seconds. The offensive tackle left Louisville after his junior season to test his luck in the pros. 

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compared him to former Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl champion Bryant McKinnie and had this to say about how Becton projects at the next level: 

Enormous frame complemented by surprisingly nimble feet and functional athleticism to handle either tackle spot. 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. ... With all really big prospects, weight and quickness will be concerns, but Becton's areas of concern are correctable or manageable if he's disciplined enough to prioritize them. He has the potential to be a good starter on either side, but the weight creates an obvious low-floor scenario.

It remains to be seen how the failed drug test will impact his draft status. As Rapoport noted, he'll now enter Stage 1 of the league's intervention program for the next 60 days. Should he pass all tests during that time, he will "assume the same status as players who have never been referred to the Intervention Program." 

Tyra believes that won't be an issue. 

"I'm sure he'll address it properly," he said. "He is terrific. He's a great talent, but I will tell you he's an awesome person."

The NFL draft kicks off on April 23.