Louisville Football: Mekhi Becton set to prove he’s NFL Draft’s top OT

The world is starting to realize Mekhi Becton exists, with NFL fans and Experts alike jumping on the Becton bandwagon before the draft. With his stock skyrocketing, the ‘big-ticket’ could be Louisville Football’s next elite draft pick.

The NFL combine is officially underway, with the week-long invitation-only event currently taking place once again at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. According to the official combine schedule,  kickers, special teams, running backs, and offensive linemen starting their experience on Wednesday. I wanted to take a minute (or an article) to reflect on a Louisville football favorite and new combine darling, Mekhi Becton.

Coaches and fans alike knew that four-star Becton was going to be special early on in his career at Louisville. What seemed like an unfortunate series of events during Mekhi’s sophomore year leading to an excruciating 2-10 season and a Coaching change, ironically turned into a phenomenal opportunity for the offensive tackle. As fate had it, Scott Satterfield was hired as the new head coach for the Cards and recruited one of the nation’s best linemen coaches to join him, Dwayne Ledford.

Although they only had one full year together, Coach Ledford propelled Becton from a good tackle with size, to a first-team All-ACC tackle and potential top-10 NFL draft pick.

You heard that right. Mekhi Becton is potentially in line to be a top NFL draft pick, and like him – his odds are only getting stronger. In fact, in his first meeting with the media today Becton let them know he believes he’s the best offensive linemen in the draft.

Over the past month, Becton’s bandwagon has been gaining steam as national college and NFL experts, analysts, and even pro teams themselves have been boasting about his high draft potential.

Not even completing a drill yet, the big-ticket is already making his presence felt at the combine through his measurements alone:

You’ll be hard-pressed to find another lineman, or human for that matter, in this draft with Mekhi’s all-around size, attributes, and agility – and he knows it too.

How do I know he knows it? Recently Becton was interviewed along with potential draft picks at Michael Johnson Training, a Houston-based athletic training center founded by former USA Gold-medalist Michael Johnson.

"“I really feel I’m at the top,” Becton said. “I feel like I’m real physical. I’m dominant. I can do anything on the field.”"

I detect no lies.

(P.S. – Mekhi Becton joined the BRL podcast last month to talk about his Louisville football career and we also attempted to get him prepared for the NFL Combine)

According to numerous mock drafts already out and continuing to be created, Becton’s draft trajectory has steadily increased since the end of Louisville Football’s season in December.

The Jets at 11? They tweeted it themselves.

Or better yet, how about Becton – top 5 pick’?

That has a good ring to it, especially considering there is a lot of smoke stemming from NY Giants GM Dave Gettleman’s comments on wanting a big lineman to help keep David Jones upright next season, and who happen to currently have the 4th overall pick this year (assuming no trades).

There are a lot of teams currently looking for a way to navigate their way into a top-five draft pick, but those teams are desperate for Quarterbacks. However, It wouldn’t surprise me to see a team like the Giants in need of a massive QB protector, trade their coveted 4th pick for a handful of lesser picks, as quantity over quality is definitely a draft strategy.

The one guarantee I can give even before the first player takes his rowboat ride to the podium, however,  is that the Louisville faithful will support Becton and his new team wherever he lands.

Louisville Football’s social media is riddled with various pro teams content and Cardinal fans wearing jerseys of former players: Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, Teddy Bridgewater and the Saints, and Jaire Alexander with the Packers just to name a few. Mehki will not be an exception to this trend, as being a UL Football fan-favorite comes with a lifetime of support.

I’m excited to see Becton continue his stock surge, and I expect an impressive showing this week that backs up all the talk and highlight tape. I expect the big-ticket off the board in the first round, but don’t be surprised if you hear his name sooner rather than later.