There’s very little doubt that Joe Mixon is an elite-level talent. In fact, on the field, it’s possible he’s the most-talented running back in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Despite this, Mixon was not invited to take part in the annual NFL Scouting Combine that starts later this month in Indianapolis.
NFL teams received final combine invite list. Among those not invited: Oklahoma RB Joe Mixon and Baylor WR Ishmael Zamora, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 3, 2017
It shouldn’t be a huge surprise that Mixon wasn’t invited to show off his talents in front of NFL’s 32 teams in the annual dog-and-pony show. A video surfaced last year of Mixon hitting a woman in a bar after an altercation. While the incident itself occurred back in 2014, it’s fresh in the minds of those around the NFL.
The NFL itself has made a concerted effort to stem the tide of domestic violence in the league since the entire Ray Race scandal. Whether that’s the largest determining factor here remains to be seen.
Despite possessing top-10 talent, there have been reports recently that Mixon will go undrafted when the annual draft takes place this upcoming spring. Not being able to display his talents in Indy surely won’t help.