Bengals Draft Joe Mixon, Who Was Suspended for Punching a Woman
PHILADELPHIA: The Washington Huskies secondary, the most popular group in the second round of the NFL draft, was located about 3,000 miles away from Philadelphia.
Three players were selected in the first 11 picks on Friday night: safety Budda Baker, cornerbacks Kevin King and Sidney Jones, and cornerback Kevin King.
However, none of those selections attracted the same level of interest as Cincinnati’s pick at number 48, who was Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon. In 2014, Mixon was caught on camera striking a woman, fracturing bones in her face. As a result, he was not invited to the scouting combine.
After the altercation, Mixon was suspended from the team for a year, but he returned and had two excellent seasons. He was an All-Big 12 player in 2016 and broke the team record for all-purpose.
As Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz, a former Bengals lineman, revealed Mixon’s selection, fans in the draft theater booed loudly. Cincinnati has a track record of signing players to the team that have off-field issues.
Bengals Coach Marvin Lewis acknowledged that the decision may lead some supporters to “pause for a second.” Lewis remarked, “But this has to go on, and he has to go on. He has been dealing with this since the day it happened.
King was one of five players who attended the draft but were not selected in the first round, therefore his extended stay came to an abrupt end earlier. Green Bay selected King, a 6-foot-3 former safety, with the first pick in the second round. He doesn’t move very quickly, yet possesses the bulk and ferocity that professional clubs look for.
Fans in the draft theater booed aggressively when the former Bengals tackle Anthony Munoz, a Hall of Famer, announced the choice of Mixon. Cincinnati has a history of adding players with off-field problems to the roster.
Bengals Coach Marvin Lewis admitted that some fans might “pause for a second” because of the selection. “But this thing’s got to move forward,” Lewis said, “and he’s got to move on. He’s lived with this since the day it’s occurred.”
Earlier, King’s extra-long stay at the draft — he was one of five players attending who were not taken in the opening round — ended swiftly. King, a 6-foot-3 former safety, was taken by Green Bay as the first selection in the second round. He is not particularly speedy but has the size and the aggressiveness that pro teams seek.
