Former Louisville left tackle Mekhi Becton had a drug test flagged at the NFL Combine in February, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. 

Becton, a 6-foot-7, 364-pound lineman, did not fail a drug test during his time at Louisville, but he was among players who had a test flagged at the combine, according to Rapoport.

“Multiple players had drug tests flagged at the NFL Combine & among those is projected top 10 pick #Louisville OT Mekhi Becton, I’m told,” he tweeted less than a week before the draft.

According to reports, teams have been informed of Becton’s drug test. Becton will now enter “Stage 1” of the league’s intervention program for no more than 60 days, according to the new NFL collective bargaining agreement. In that stage, a medical director may require a player to submit to testing for substances of abuse as often as is required to evaluate the player adequately. 

If he’s not flagged again within those 60 days, he would assume the same status as a player who has never been referred to the program. 

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The Becton family did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

At the combine, Becton made a name for himself after running a 5.10 40-yard dash, a performance that shocked many because of his size. 

That solidified Becton as one of the top four offensive tackles in the 2020 class and a potential top-five pick, depending on who teams prefer. His mix of size and athleticism make many draft analysts, including Dane Brugler of The Athletic, believe Becton is a sure top-10 pick. 

“The upside is too great for him to fall too far,” Brugler said in March. “The ability was always there, but could you get past the areas where he needs to clean up, to take him that high?” 

Becton, who turned 21 on Thursday, was a first-team All-ACC pick and a second team All-American as a junior in 2019. He was the winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy last season, given to the best offensive lineman in the conference. 

If he is selected in the top 10, as many predict, Becton will be just the second Louisville player to be a top-10 pick in program history, the first since Amobi Okoye in 2007. If he’s picked in the top nine, he’ll pass Okoye as the highest pick in program history.