In 2016, the NFL saw rookie running back Ezekiel Elliot transform an average Dallas Cowboys team into an NFC power, showing just how valuable a running back can be. While the Bengals have an okay running game, their backs are far from elite. Drafting a legitimately talented rusher could do wonders for their offense. Enter Joe Mixon.
The Cincinnati Bengals are looking for a spark to ignite their team in 2017. They have a decent quarterback and a great number one receiver. Their running game, however, has been a question for a number of years. Out of the top backs in the draft, there is one that has the skills to be an immediate impact player. That man is Oklahoma’s, Joe Mixon. Unfortunately, Mixon also comes with a lot of baggage.
It was recently reported that the Bengals met privately with Mixon. This means the Bengals must at least be considering drafting him. Mixon is undeniably talented, but his checkered past is a real concern. Would drafting him be a good idea for the Bengals?
The Top Running Back Options
if the Bengals are thinking about drafting a back, they will most likely look to Florida State’s Dalvin Cook or Oklahoma’s Joe Mixon. Cook has been considered the safer choice, but in reality, both players have questionable backgrounds. Cook was charged with battery (which he was later found not guilty of) and given a citation for mistreatment of animals. Mixon’s troubles, however, were made more public due to the video of the incident in 2014 when he violently punched a woman, fracturing four of her facial bones. Is Mixon’s talent worth giving him a look in spite of his troubling past?
Why Take The Risk?
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Mixon is an all-purpose back. He is an extremely talented runner, pass catcher, and blocker. He fits into a variety of pro-style schemes and has the natural instincts of a top-tier running back. During his 2015 campaign, he rushed for 753 yards with an impressive 6.7 YPC average. He scored 11 total touchdowns. In 2016, he ran for 1,274 yards and upped his YPC average to 6.8 while scoring 15 total touchdowns. He also returned 21 punts for 494 yards and a touchdown in 2015 as well. Mixon’s multitude of abilities has led to comparisons of a player that Bengals fans are very familiar with: Le’Veon Bell.
Other Comparisons
The Mixon situation has been compared to that of two other talented players with violence on their resume: Ray Rice and Tyreke Hill. Rice had a successful career as a running back for the Baltimore Ravens until one fateful night in 2014 when he knocked his wife unconscious. At first, a minor suspension was levied, but similar to the Mixon incident, a video of the punch later surfaced. Upon seeing the sheer brutality of the act, a much harsher punishment was given to Rice. He would never again find work in the NFL.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill faced an even more similar situation to Mixon’s. Hill entered the draft with charges of domestic violence looming over him. Hill pled guilty to a disturbing December 11, 2014, altercation that involved his pregnant girlfriend. The incident undoubtedly hurt his draft stock. This culminated in a slide to the fifth round of the draft. As seen by his play on the field in the 2016 season with Kansas City, Hill is a talented player that could have gone much higher in the draft if not for the domestic violence on his record. Mixon will also face some sort of slide due to his actions, the only question is how much?
The Logistics of Drafting Mixon
Mixon will be one of the biggest human interest stories of the draft this year, but where will he go? Mel Kiper has said that Mixon “could be (drafted) in the late first and early second round.” He has also stated that if “Joe Mixon didn’t have that significant serious off-the-field issue, then he would be the number one running back in this draft.”
This means that at number nine, drafting Mixon may be a reach. If the Bengals are truly interested in him, it would be advisable to trade down and collect draft picks while still getting their man. Cincinnati could conceivably still have a shot at drafting Mixon in the second round if another team doesn’t scoop him up.
The Bigger Picture?
Drafting Mixon would obviously come with a lot of risks. If the Bengals take him they would have an instant media circus surrounding their training camp. Bengals ownership would also be met with a lot of initial bad publicity drafting someone with such a public and brutal mark on their record. That being said, the sports world is filled with people who love second chances. Many athletes who have committed or been involved in terrible acts have come back and succeeded both on and off the field: Michael Vick, Kobe Bryant, and Ray Lewis to name a few. Sports fans love to see stories of redemption. If Mixon performed on the field and kept a clean record, he could even become an ambassador to preventing violence against women.
Bengals management hasn’t been shy in the past about acquiring players with troubled pasts. They still have Adam Jones and Vontaze Burfict on their roster. Those two players certainly don’t have a sparkling record but have managed to find a home in Cincinnati nonetheless.
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The Bengals have a big decision on their hands. Mixon may be a valuable asset to the team, but is it worth bringing someone of questionable character into the locker room? Maybe that decision will be left to how far in the draft he falls. The Joe Mixon story is one of violence, intrigue, and perhaps someday, redemption. He will be a hot topic in the NFL this season, maybe even one that plays for the Bengals.