Mike Mayock ranks Joe Mixon as top 5 running back

Joe Mixon will continue to be one of the most talked about and controversial players in this year’s NFL Draft. The history and previous altercation in 2014 with a female OU student is well documented. Some scouts have insisted that their teams would never draft Mixon, while others have taken a more cautious, wait-and-see approach.

The latest intrigue surrounding Joe Mixon comes courtesy of the NFL Network’s draft guru Mike Mayock, who lists Mixon as one of his top 5 running backs.

Running Back

1. Dalvin Cook, Florida State
2. Leonard Fournette, LSU
3. Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
4. Alvin Kamara, Tennessee
5. Joe Mixon, Oklahoma

Now based on talent alone, I would put Mixon at #3 on this list. But the fact that Mixon is even on the top 5 tells me that he’s going to get drafted higher than many people expect or would like and there will be outcry over it.

The NFL combine begins in two weeks (which Mixon has not been invited too), so it’s possible some other running backs impress enough to push Mixon down on this list. But that is all speculation, at this point. ESPN’s Mel Kiper said last month he believes Mixon is going to be a second-round pick. I see Mixon going late in the first round to a team like the Patriots, where they will tout their culture as a reason for selecting Mixon to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Another interesting note in Mayock’s top 5 players at each position is Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes listed as the number 4 quarterback.

Quarterback

1. DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame
2. Deshaun Watson, Clemson
3. Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina
4. Patrick Mahomes II, Texas Tech
5. Davis Webb, California

Also this list comes out before the combine. My prediction: as scouts see Mahomes at the combine and get to know him better, he will be a top 2 or top 3 quarterback on most teams’ draft boards.

Where do you think Mixon and Mahomes end up being drafted? Let us know in the comments below!