People may not want to hear it, and I won't offer an opinion on the 'he should never have a job!' vs 'everyone gets a second chance' opinion piece that plenty of others have already written. But when it comes down to just evaluating the tape on the field, Oklahoma's Joe Mixon is the best Running Back I've studied so far for the 2017 NFL Draft, and I've studied Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook and Christian McCaffrey.
Mixon has an elite skillset for an NFL RB. I think he could start at WR in the NFL if he wanted to. That's one of the big differences in how I rank RBs. Being a great runner is fantastic. Leonard Fournette offers that. He's a fantastic combination of size, speed and power. Joe Mixon offers more.
You watch Mixon play, and you'll see everything you want from a workhorse NFL back. His ability to see where a hole is going to be, the patience to wait for it to develop, the explosion to get through it when it appears, it's all there. And it looks effortless. Here you see his ability to move laterally and explode upfield when he gets the hole he wants.
He also shows outstanding balance to play through contact. If there's a way to take a hit and stay on his feet, he's going to do it.
Mixon also has an ability to see the field and set up blocks. Watch him press a hole, bring the defense in, then show his ability to change direction and explode through the gap that opens for him. You have to be able to feel it happening and have a spatial awareness of what is opening. He shows it here.
The next part of his game that is huge in terms of value for NFL teams is as a receiver. Mixon has natural hands and isn't limited to your standard RB as a receiver role. A lot of guys can catch screen passes and little dumpoffs in the flats. Mixon can line up in the slot or outside and actually get open against defensive backs. He can run a variety of routes from either the RB or WR spot. He can track a ball in the air and make adjustments, and his after the catch ability is very good.
He has the speed to be a big play threat. He has the elusiveness to win in the open field. He has the power to move a pile forward. For me the battle for RB1 in the 2017 draft class is between Joe Mixon and Dalvin Cook. I give the edge to Mixon because of the way that he's built. At over 6' and in the 225 lb range, he's sturdy. He's built for the pounding that a workhorse NFL RB takes.
His unique blend of skills allows him to makes plays on a play that seems doomed to be a loss of yards, like he did here (save the Texas Tech defense jokes please).
The wildcard of course is going to be how each NFL team chooses to approach his off the field situation. The video of his punch at the Oklahoma diner will be played on the local and national news the night he's drafted. The front office will have to field questions about it. It's enough to keep him off of a number of teams' draft boards altogether.
Mixon's talent is far too significant for him to be undrafted. No one can say for sure where he'll go, I would guess on the second day of the draft (either round two or three). But I really think whoever takes him will be rewarded with the best RB in the 2017 draft class.
You can hear Jeff Cavanaugh on 105.3 The Fan's 'G-Bag Nation' from 10 AM-3 PM. Feel free to tweet him your all-caps Cowboys opinions at @JC1053.
