Joe Mixon’s 2017 NFL Draft slide ended early on Day 2, with the Cincinnati Bengals using the 48th overall pick Friday night to select the controversial Oklahoma running back.
Though some experts considered Mixon this year’s most talented running back prospect, his off-field transgressions caused him to fall out of the first round. He was arrested and charged with assault in 2014 after punching a woman in the face at a restaurant near Oklahoma’s campus.
Video of the incident was made public in December, and as a result, Mixon was barred from attending the NFL Scouting Combine. The New England Patriots, who have a zero-tolerance policy toward violence against women, took him off their draft board entirely. Other teams reportedly did, as well.
As for his on-field accomplishments, Mixon rushed for 1,274 yards and averaged 6.8 yards per carry in 2016, ranking second in the Big 12 in both categories. He rushed for 10 touchdowns and also caught 37 passes for 538 yards and five scores.
The Bengals lost running back Rex Burkhead to the Patriots in free agency, but their top two backs from this past season, Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard, both are under contract for 2017.
Thumbnail photo via John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports Images
