Joe Mixon looks very good in preseason debut with Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals took a big risk on running back Joe Mixon in the 2017 NFL Draft. His preseason debut was very, very solid…
One of the great things about the NFL preseason is the access the commentary crews get to the executives around the league. Cincinnati Bengals GM Mike Brown joined the team’s broadcast crew in the booth as Joe Mixon made his preseason debut, and he watched on like a very proud papa.
“Yeah he might be aight. He might be aight. We’re gonna let him continue to prove it but he’s shown the traits that we saw in college. He’s an eager guy that works hard and it means a lot to him…”
This analysis from Brown came as Mixon was getting his first action on an NFL field, and looking like a man among boys.
Watch Mixon make guys miss with ease:
Mixon also put on display his excellent ability to accelerate:
Not to mention his big time speed:
#JoeMixon gets 15 yards on delayed hand off making it look easy out there #NFL #fantasy #bengals #sooners #preseason pic.twitter.com/kUzc6kYEnF
— John Chapman (@JL_Chapman) August 12, 2017
The Cincinnati Bengals obviously have a few really solid running backs, but neither Jeremy Hill nor Giovanni Bernard has the type of all-around game that we see from Mixon, even if it is in just limited snaps.
More from NFL Mocks
- NFL Draft: Ranking the top signal callers of the 2024 NFL QB Class
- 2024 NFL Mock Draft Journal: Cardinals, Falcons tank for USC QB Caleb Williams
- Patriots News & Rumors: Ezekiel Elliott talks fun in Foxboro; Mills to Packers?
- Fantasy Football: 5 reasons Colts QB Anthony Richardson can be a top-end option
- Packers’ Lukas Van Ness will make a Lambeau leap into the NFL in 2023
Mixon already looks like a guy ready to come in and be a lead back from day one in the NFL. The Bengals are soon going to find they can’t keep him off the field, and these clips are a major part of the reason why.
He is a phenomenal receiver out of the backfield, but what makes him so special is that he can slip away from tackles, and he can create after the catch. He has great vision as a running back and a combination of patience, power, speed, and quickness.
Mixon was in the top 20 players on my draft board simply for on-field ability. Were it not for poor decisions made off the field, he would have undoubtedly been a first round pick.
But that was part of Mixon’s evaluation when NFL teams decided whether to keep him on their draft board or not.
The Bengals felt confident in their personal evaluation of Mixon, and he’s getting his shot. This was a very good debut for the rookie.