San Francisco 49ers: Why Drafting Joe Mixon Would Be a Colossal Mistake
By Robert Smith
The 2017 NFL Draft is just around the corner, and the San Francisco 49ers are in need of a running back. But Oklahoma’s Joe Mixon should not be on the Niners’ big board.
With the 2017 NFL Draft just over a week away, teams and scouts are in the midst of scrutinizing each and every available college player based on their size, speed, football acumen and fit for their system.
However, perhaps the most important attribute will be the players’ character.
Former Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon has all the required measurements of a first-round draft pick. But with his assault on a female back in 2014, the San Francisco 49ers would be wise to steer clear and pass on drafting him.
San Francisco 49ers
The phrase “everyone deserves a second chance” is one that I personally agree with. In regards to Mixon, while his actions of that evening back in 2014 were abhorrent and inexcusable, he most assuredly will receive the benefit of a second chance.
It just should not be with the 49ers.
With Carlos Hyde struggling to stay healthy the past few seasons — the Niners did bring in former New Orleans Saints running back Tim Hightower as insurance — the team may still look to bring in a draft pick to compete for playing time and/or provide even more depth at the position.
The numbers Mixon put up at Oklahoma in his sophomore year are impressive. Rushing for 1,274 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Sooners this past season, the 6-foot-1, 225-pound running back had established himself as a viable first-round talent, had he not had the off-field issue.
We, as a society, tend to provide second chances to those who seem contrite. All indications are Mixon has said all the right things since the video first surfaced.
But you must also look at the recent history of the 49ers to understand why taking Mixon would be a mistake.
Since 2012, the 49ers have had 13 players arrested, which leads the NFL. From the multiple arrests and run-ins with the law — former linebacker Aldon Smith to the most recent incident of former cornerback Tramaine Brock — the 49ers simply cannot take another public relations hit.
The fact Mixon’s assault of a young woman was caught on tape only intensified the reactions of the general public and a multitude of domestic-violence and women’s rights groups.
If the Ray Rice domestic-violence video taught us anything, it’s the only thing worse than a player involved in a domestic violence or assault case is when those actions are caught on video.
And with the 49ers starting with a clean slate, with the hiring of new head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, any distractions of such a nature would only impede the process of the team growing together and learning a new system.
If Brock’s arrest and the subsequent reaction of 49ers brass when they released him is any indication, the team will no longer accept the off-the-field issues of the past few seasons.
Add to that the breaking news of the apparent suicide of former New England Patriots’ tight end Aaron Hernandez (serving life without parole for the murder of Odin Lloyd in 2013), and the scrutiny teams will face for drafting character-issue guys will be heightened even more during this draft.
The 49ers are currently sitting on a total of 10 picks in a draft that is said to be well stocked with depth at several positions. Capitalizing on value picks in the mid-to-late rounds will be a huge benefit for a team looking to fill several positions of need.
Next: NFL Draft: 49ers First Round Big Board
But with the recent history of off-field incidents and overall poor public relations plaguing the team and front office, a hard-line stance against the drafting of character-issue guys seems a step in the right direction.