There has been quite a bit of speculation that the Minnesota Vikings may be interested in Oklahoma’s controversial running back Joe Mixon.
The 20-year-old is entering the NFL Draft after a sophomore season at Oklahoma that saw him run for 1,274 yards and 10 touchdowns and catch 37 passes for another 538 yards and five more scores.
Normally, when a running back has that kind of resume, we wouldn’t be talking about him being on the board when the Vikings make their first pick in the second round. But Mixon comes with a big red flag – a video that shows him punching a woman when he was 18 years old.
That video caused Mixon to miss the NFL Scouting Combine and has caused him to drop on many teams’ draft boards. So, according to what The Bleacher Report’s NFL Draft Expert Matt Miller told the Star Tribune, Mixon could very much be in play when the Vikings pick at No. 48 overall.
“It might be you guys. It might be,” Miller told the Star Tribune. “The four teams I’ve heard most consistently with Mixon are Minnesota, New Orleans, Cincinnati and Oakland. And that’s going back to in-season, the teams asking about him the most. I think it’s very possible.”
The Vikings will likely be looking to add a running back during the draft and appear to be interested in Mixon, but they aren’t alone.
In a mock draft of this year’s second round Walter Football has Mixon going 41st overall to Cincinnati. SB Nation predicts Mixon goes 53rd overall to Detroit.
According to Pro Football Talk, Mixon is scheduled for visits with 15 different teams – or nearly half the league. The report says he’s already had visits with the Bengals, Broncos, Chargers, Packers and Raiders.
