Oklahoma’s Joe Mixon declares for NFL Draft
By Connor Learn
Oklahoma’s Joe Mixon is a talented but troubled running back. On Thursday afternoon, the redshirt sophomore announced his intentions to enter the NFL Draft.
Coming out of Freedom High School in Oakley, California, Joe Mixon was a highly-touted recruit. He was a five-star recruit by most services and ended up choosing Oklahoma over Wisconsin during his senior season. When Mixon arrived in Norman during the summer following his high school graduation, he made a decision that he will have to live with for the rest of his life.
Much has been said about the incident that occurred between Joe Mixon and a female student in summer of 2014. Oklahoma rallied around Mixon during the release of this video through their 35-19 Sugar Bowl victory over Auburn. NFL personnel people are going to have to ask themselves if they too are willing to support Mixon following this controversy.
Joe Mixon is going to have his work cut out for him in pre-draft interviews. To his credit, Mixon has owned up to his mistake and expressed remorse:
As a pure NFL draft talent, Joe Mixon is one of the better running backs in a good class. At 6’1″ and 226 pounds., Mixon runs a 4.4-4.5 40-yard dash. His agility, vision and versatility make him capable of being a three down running back, which is increasingly becoming more rare in today’s game. With no character concerns, he would have likely been a first or second round pick. Now, it’s hard to pin down where he may end up going.
Rookie Pro Bowler Tyreek Hill was given a chance in Kansas City despite collegiate domestic abuse charges. Hill ran a 4.24 40 and his speed has shown on the field; Chiefs fans have welcomed their new playmaker despite his questionable past.
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Similarly for Mixon, all it takes is one team to take a chance on him. It takes one team to gamble that his on-field talent will outweigh his off-field concerns. Mixon will likely never be fully distanced from his past, and rightfully so, but the NFL represents his chance at redemption.