Mekhi Becton did something every week that made Dwayne Ledford’s eyes pop.

But one day stood out above the rest to Louisville's offensive coordinator — the Cardinals' Nov. 23 game against Syracuse.

Becton, a 6-foot-9, 370-pound left tackle, was returning from an ankle injury that forced him to miss the week prior. He returned to the lineup with something to prove and played with more force than Ledford, a coach for 13 years and NFL player for seven, had ever seen. Louisville won the game and tallied 608 yards. Ledford recalled finding his wife, Meredith, afterward and telling her, "We've got a monster."

"I’ve never said that about somebody,” Ledford said. “What he was doing physically, over the course of that game, I’ve never seen somebody have those kind of blocks over the course of a game.”

That “monster” has soared up draft boards since declaring for the NFL draft and is preparing for the NFL combine this week. He'll go through drills on Thursday. Becton, who possesses a mix of size, strength and athleticism that scouts drool over, is projected to be a top-10 pick in nearly all mock drafts, with NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah projecting Becton to go as high as fifth.

It doesn’t matter to Ledford where Becton goes in the draft — although if he’s picked top-20, he’ll be the highest drafted offensive lineman in program history. Ledford knows that what everybody sees now isn’t close to what Becton will be when he finishes playing football.

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When he arrived at Louisville in December 2018, Ledford already knew of Becton. As the offensive line coach at NC State, he heard of a big and strong guy holding down the left side for Louisville. He saw a future NFL draft pick. But to take his game to the next level, Ledford wanted Becton to do two things: play out of a three-point stance more and work on his finishing.

Ledford isn’t new to having talented offensive linemen. If Becton is selected in the first round in April, he will be the second straight lineman Ledford has coached to go on the first day of the draft. Garrett Bradbury, drafted No. 16 by the Minnesota Vikings last year, played under Ledford at NC State.

"I think it’s important that if you want to play with leverage, you play from a three-point stance. If you can do those things in a three-point stance, it shows that this guy can bend and move,” Ledford said.

Becton's ability to move is one reason why he's so highly regarded, but there's also no missing his ability to finish plays. On social media, draft experts rave about Becton’s ability to throw defenders into the sidelines or out of the play.

Ledford saw that competitive attitude grow as the season went on, to the point that by the first bye week Becton was throwing people out of plays. That’s what helped Becton fly up draft boards.

"He was taking guys out on the sidelines and being a force, because when you are one of those top guys, that’s what they are. There’s something different about you,” Ledford said.

When scouts ask Ledford about Becton, he’s got nothing but good things to say. But he can’t find a comparison.

"I've been in a lot of locker rooms, and I don’t recall any that looks the way he does and with the tools he has,” Ledford said. “He’s special, he really is.”

Ledford became very close with Becton over the course of the 2019 season, as he did with his entire offensive line. The two still speak even with Becton out of town working out to prepare for the draft.

One of their latest talks confirmed what Ledford already knew — Becton is going to be a mainstay in the NFL. Becton is not someone who is happy with just being talented. Since high school, he’s played with a chip on his shoulder and wants to dominate each time he’s on the field.

"I talked to him the other day, and this has nothing to do with making it to the NFL or becoming a first-round draft pick, it’s about being the best there’s been out there,” Ledford said.

Becton will have a chance to prove he’s one of the best tackles in the draft at this week’s combine. But regardless of what happens in Indianapolis and beyond, Ledford is confident that the player he saw against Syracuse is just scratching the surface of his potential.

"He’s very young and has been injury free his whole career. There’s a lot of tread on those tires, and they haven’t even begun to wear down yet,” Ledford said. “He’s just now starting to come into his own. … To me, I think there’s so much growth and development still there. It’s limitless for him because physically he has those tools.”

Cameron Teague Robinson CTeagueRob@gannett.com; Twitter: @cj_teague; Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.