Depending on how the Marshawn Lynch situation plays out, the Oakland Raiders could be looking running back early in next week’s draft.
One of the running backs Oakland has visited with, former Oklahoma standout Joe Mixon, remains one of the most divisive figures in the entire draft.
Late last year, Mixon’s reps released a video of him punching a woman during a fight back in 2014. This shocked the college football world and placed Mixon on the back burner when it came to the draft. Would teams really be willing to take the PR hit that would come with selecting Mixon?
In the lead up to next week’s draft, varying reports have suggested that Mixon could go as high as the second round or fall out of the draft completely.
But if you ask Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie, his team’s visit with Mixon left a good impression.
Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie on RB Joe Mixon's team visit: "We thought he was a really good kid." Came across well.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) April 21, 2017
McKenzie will surely get some flack for this comment, but the team decided to visit with Mixon even after said video was released. It was obviously going to go into the meeting with an open mind. And there’s little doubt that the running back himself is looking to atone for his past failures.
Whether that means Oakland will actually pull the trigger on Mixon next week remains to be seen. But McKenzie’s comments suggest that it remains a possibility.