The Bengals selected Mixon in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, 48th overall.
A clear first-round talent who fell this far due to a 2014 incident when he punched a female Oklahoma student, Mixon's landing spot is not terribly surprising. That the Bengals took him in the second round indicates that they're prepared to give him playing time despite the PR backlash it might bring. So long as he's getting snaps, Mixon (6-foot-1, 226 pounds) should quickly establish himself as Cincinnati's top running back. There's no need to exercise caution on this -- Jeremy HIll and Gio Bernard (ACL) cannot produce at the level Mixon can. That much is true, though it's fair to question how much playing time the Bengals may be willing to give him off the bat. With standout pass-catching skills and breakaway athleticism on a workhorse frame, Mixon has uniquely high fantasy upside despite any risk he might still carry.