NFL draft prospect Zack Baun had a diluted drug-test sample at NFL scouting combine, per report
Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun has notified all NFL teams that he had a diluted urine sample at the NFL scouting combine, a red flag as it pertains to league drug-testing mechanisms, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.
Although a diluted sample doesn't prove the presence of a banned substance, it typically constitutes a failed test.
Per Schefter's sources, Baun attributed the finding to drinking too much water for weigh-in purposes, attempting to drive up his weight to impress talent evaluators. Baun is listed at 6 foot 2 and 238 pounds.
Under the NFL's previous collective bargaining agreement, the diluted sample would have counted as a strike against Baun, but Schefter noted it will not under the newly approved CBA. He tweeted teams thus don't believe it will impact Baun's draft status.
Under the old CBA, a positive first test meant a referral to the league's substance abuse program, and a second violation would have resulted in a fine of two game checks. The new CBA puts weight on treatment more than punishment.
Baun, Paste BN Sports' No. 25-rated prospect in the 2020 NFL draft class, is expected to be a first- or second-round selection. Paste BN Sports' latest mock draft projected Baun to go to the New England Patriots with the No. 23 overall pick.
Baun was a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and a first-team all-Big Ten selection.
Former Wisconsin and NFL star Joe Thomas tweeted in 2017 that a diluted sample should not be considered a failed test when Michigan's Jabrill Peppers was flagged at the combine that year.
Peppers became the first player with a diluted sample to be drafted in the first round when the Cleveland Browns made him the 25th overall selection. Linebacker Reuben Foster, who also posted a diluted sample in the same combine, was taken 31st in the first round by the San Francisco 49ers.
JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.
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