Bengals: Joe Mixon considered top 10 RB despite down year in 2020

The 2020 season was an injury-filled one for the Cincinnati Bengals who lost both their star quarterback and starting running back to injuries. Joe Mixon started just six games before he was sidelined with an injury but even with his lack of playing time in 2020, he’s still considered one of the NFL’s best at his position.

Mixon made Patrik Walker of CBS Sports’ list of top 10 running backs in the NFL. Walker had this to say on why he put Mixon at No. 10 on the rankings:

"On any given Sunday, Mixon can adapt to whatever the opposing defense gives him. If he needs to play bully ball, he’ll do it. If he needs to stretch linebackers thin with screen passes and force an imbalance in the secondary, he can do that as well."

A lot of Walker’s blurb discusses how Mixon was so good while the Bengals were so bad and he has a point for sure. When the Bengals won just two games in 2019, Mixon rushed for 1,137 yards and five touchdowns. The previous year saw him rush for 1,168 yards and eight touchdowns, both of which remain career highs for the former Oklahoma Sooner.

Bengals RB Joe Mixon is one of the best in the league at his position.

I mentioned earlier how Mixon appeared in just six games last year before getting injured. He was doing well before the injury occurred, rushing for 428 yards and three touchdowns while also recording a touchdown through the air as well.

While the Bengals pass-catchers are getting most of the glory this offseason, Mixon will continue to be the workhorse he’s always been since joining the Bengals in 2017. He’s been decent in the receiving game too, totaling just under 300 yards receiving in each of his first three seasons in the pros. His best year as a pass-catcher came in 2019 when he had 287 receiving yards along with three receiving touchdowns.

Hopefully, Mixon can stay healthy in 2021 and continue to run over defenses, much like he has throughout the course of his career.