NFL Draft rumors: Joe Mixon sliding?
By Conor Myles
Could Oklahoma’s star running back Joe Mixon be selected later in the draft than expected?
There’s been a ton of buzz surrounding Oklahoma’s stud running back Joe Mixon leading up to the 2017 NFL Draft, but the troubled star could go later than many might expect.
Mixon’s biggest stock killer is a video of him in 2014 punching a female in the face. Many thought this would deem him undraftable, but many mock drafts and analysts have put the running back in the second round range.
Gil Brandt of NFL.com always makes a list of the top 150 players leading up to the NFL Draft. Brandt makes these lists close to the draft every year basing his rankings on the buzz he’s hearing about players. The most noticeable player left out of Brandt’s list was Mixon.
Brandt did admit he’d be surprised if Mixon wasn’t selected in the middle of Round 2, but according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Mixon could find himself waiting to get his name called way longer than many expect.
"“While the ‘anonymous scouts’ have yet to trash Mixon (then again, they often only trash the guys the scouts hope will slide into their laps), multiple league sources who have investigated the situation believe that Mixon may be waiting beyond round two or three,” Florio said."
This report comes at an interesting time, especially so close to the NFL Draft. Mixon has visited teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos, each of which have a need a running back and have top-25 selections in Round 2.
If Florio is right and Mixon slides further than expected, that could become a huge storyline during the draft.
Next: NFL Draft: Joe Mixon visits Buccaneers
We’re nine days away from the start of the draft. Keep an eye on Mixon’s potential slide in the draft.