NFL draft: Wisconsin's Zack Baun, possible first-rounder, reportedly had diluted urine sample at NFL scouting combine
Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun, a possible first-round prospect in the 2020 NFL draft, reportedly had his urine sample flagged at the NFL scouting combine for being diluted.
Baun blamed it on the fact that he drank too much water while trying to add weight, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Wisconsin’s Zach Baun, the third-rated linebacker on Mel Kiper Jr.’s board, notified all 32 teams that he testified positive for a diluted sample at the combine that he blamed on drinking too much water for weight-related weigh-in purposes, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 14, 2020
Excess water can allow athletes to mask the presence of performance-enhancing drugs. For a player such as Baun, a pass rusher who appears light for that position in the NFL, it could have been a case of wanting his weight to be higher to quash the notion that he’s undersized for the league.
Baun is Yahoo Sports’ 34th overall prospect in this year’s class. He measured in at the combine in late February at 6-foot-2 3/8 and 238 pounds. At the Senior Bowl a month earlier, Baun weighed in at 240.
Baun was a standout for the Badgers in his redshirt senior season in 2019, finishing tied for seventh in FBS in tackles for loss (19.5) and ninth in sacks (12.5). He also made 76 tackles, two forced fumbles, one interception and two passes defended in earning second-team AP All-America and first-team all-Big Ten.
It’s unclear if his diluted sample will have an effect on his draft status. Prior to Tuesday’s report, he was expected to be taken somewhere late in Round 1 or early Round 2.
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