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The 2020 NFL Draft class is loaded with talent. From Chase Young to Joe Burrow to an extremely deep group of wide receivers, there will be plenty of teams landing strong players who fill needs immediately. One team will, unfortunately, draft a player who proves to be overrated. And one of those overrated players is Mekhi Becton from Louisville.
Becton is a behemoth at 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds. He has skyrocketed up draft boards and has been projected going as high as No. 4 to the New York Giants. The comparison writes itself. Becton is similar to another lineman that the Giants took in the top-10 in 2015, Ereck Flowers.
At the NFL combine, Becton ran a 5.11-second 40-yard dash. He is a fast player who can get up the field in the screen game and does well as a run blocker. His biggest attribute is his size and strength, two areas where most offensive lineman will thrive given they are usually the biggest men on the field. Flowers was also viewed as an unnaturally powerful player who excelled in the run game.
Ereck Flowers 2.0?
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Where does Becton struggle? In pass protection. His technique is not good. When watching tape, Becton is seen getting pushed back on power rushes on too many occasions given his size. Despite being a fast runner, Becton's feet are poor in pass protection. He is vulnerable to many of the moves that pass rushers put on him. When he gets beat, Becton has a hard time recovering. This is where his size can work against him.
The Giants expected a starting left tackle for years to come when they selected Flowers. This is what a team will be expecting when they decide to take a chance on Becton. That is not what they are going to get. Becton seems more ready to play on the inside than at left tackle. And if that happens, a team will not be getting a Quenton Nelson or Brandon Scherff.
Louisville won eight games last season in the ACC. The Cardinals did not play a daunting schedule aside from Clemson. Becton will have to adjust to NFL talent after spending time in a weak college football conference. Who else played in the ACC? You guessed it: Flowers, at Miami.
The Giants are but one team in the top-15 that could zero in on an offensive lineman. The Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns are others. Becton is viewed as a top-three lineman. But, based on the tape and his background, there is no doubt that Jedrick Wills Jr., Tristan Wirfs and Andrew Thomas should all be taken ahead of him.
