It’s been an eventful week for draft hopeful Mekhi Becton, and not in a good way. First, an anonymous scout went on record questioning Becton’s drive, feeling his snacking habits and love of cooking could interfere with his NFL aspirations. And now, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Becton has entered Stage 1 of the league’s Intervention Program after a “flagged” drug test taken during the NFL Combine.
With the Giants and Jets both in the market for offensive line improvements, the recent wave of criticism surrounding Becton, the ACC’s reigning Jacobs Blocking Award winner, bears monitoring. While it’s unlikely the 364-pounder will fall out of the first round, the latest chain of events could bump Becton from the top 10 with many pegging him as the weak link among this year’s “big four” offensive linemen (Jedrick Wills, Tristan Wirfs and Andrew Thomas round out the rest of that group).
Both New York squads would be wise to fortify their O lines come Thursday night. Bolstering those units would go a long way toward protecting developing signal-callers Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones, raw talents who need as much help as they can get. Despite a rough week PR-wise, the 21-year-old Becton still offers plenty of promise. Becton’s rare length and surprising athleticism for his size are both major assets, though conditioning concerns and a perceived lack of polish complicate his path to early first-round status.
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