Jets' Mekhi Becton Says Failed Drug Test at Combine Was 'One-Time Mistake'

Offensive tackle Mekhi Becton became the newest member of the New York Jets after going No. 11 overall in the 2020 NFL draft on Thursday.

In a conversation with reporters after the event, Becton was asked about an NFL Scouting Combine drug test that was flagged, a story that Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported April 17.

He offered the following response on a video conference, per ESPN's Rich Cimini: "It was just a messed-up drug test, you know. I made a mistake, a young mistake that won't happen again. It was a one-time mistake that's never going to happen again."

Becton added the following: "The more I got honest with teams that asked about it, the more I felt better about it. They were just telling me: 'Just be honest about it. Don't try to lie.' It was better for me to be honest about the whole situation." 

The test didn't appear to hurt Becton's stock, as he still went No. 11 overall. When asked about the test, Jets general manager Joe Douglas said "it raises a flag when an instance like that comes up" but then added the following: "The No. 1 thing that kept coming back is how good a soul this young man has and how good a heart this young man has."

Becton has sky-high potential, in part because of his 6'7", 364-pound frame. 

Becton ranked 18th overall on Matt Miller's big board and fourth on a loaded offensive tackle list with six in the top 50.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Becton to former left tackle Bryant McKinnie and wrote the following:

"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.

"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. 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."

Connor Hughes of The Athletic predicted Becton will be a day-one starter at left tackle on the remade Jets offensive line, which added free agents George Fant, Alex Lewis, Connor McGovern and Greg Van Roten to help protect franchise signal-caller Sam Darnold.