Joe Mixon

It was clear early on that the Bengals offense was going to be bad in 2019, and it was Mixon who bore the brunt of those struggles as new coach Zac Taylor focused on his passing game. The third-year back didn't record his first 100-yard rushing game until Week 10 and didn't score his first rushing TD until Week 11. It's arguably a testament to Mixon's talent that his season totals look as palatable as they do given his washout first half. A big, powerful runner with surprising nimbleness, the 6-1, 220-pound Mixon is a prototypical three-down back who adds some value in passing situations while also wearing down defenses with his physicality. Neither Mixon nor Giovani Bernard saw a big increase in receiving usage last year, which was somewhat surprising given Taylor's background working under Sean McVay for the Rams. Cincinnati finished 30th in points and 26th in yards, despite being sixth in pace and ninth in total plays run. Better days should be ahead, though. With No. 1 pick Joe Burrow stepping in at quarterback, A.J. Green returning from an ankle injury and the potential for better offensive line play with last year's first-round pick Jonah Williams healthy, the offense should be more efficient this season, and that improvement is likely to extend to Mixon. There's been some chatter about a potential contract holdout, but Mixon hadn't made an announcement at press time.

Can a player still be a breakout candidate after successfully breaking out the season before? We may be about to find out. Mixon emerged as a legitimate lead back in 2018, improving both as a runner and a receiver while handling a large workload for a Bengals offense that otherwise struggled. The second-year RB also took his game to another level when he became the focal point of the attack after Andy Dalton broke his thumb, piling up 495 rushing yards in the final five games of 2018. Mixon offers a compelling combination of size, power and elusiveness, and he did his damage working behind a bad offensive line that should be improved with the addition of No. 11 overall pick Jonah Williams. With last year's performance as a baseline, it's now time to see whether Mixon's ceiling is even higher. New coach Zac Taylor spent the last two years on Sean McVay's staff in Los Angeles, and if Taylor's scheme works even close to as well in Cincinnati, Mixon could see the same kind of opportunities Todd Gurley enjoys. Giovani Bernard remains on hand to handle some of the passing-down workload, but even if Mixon doesn't see 300 touches, he could still take another big step forward with the help of a better environment around him.

Coming off a lackluster rookie campaign, Mixon heads into 2018 atop the Bengals' depth chart with a chance to blossom in his second season. Despite having the frame and physicality of a prototypical lead back, he displayed little of the explosiveness or elusiveness he flashed in college at Oklahoma, managing only two rushes of 20 or more yards last season. He did at least show that he can handle three-down responsibilities, though with Giovani Bernard still in town Mixon likely won't be asked to do too much in passing situations. Jeremy Hill's departure opens snaps and touches on early downs, and fourth-round pick Mark Walton doesn't figure to pose an immediate threat to Mixon's playing time. Perhaps most important, the Bengals made a serious effort to beef up their woeful offensive line, trading for oft-injured Bills left tackle Cordy Glenn and drafting Ohio State center Billy Price with the 21st overall selection. If Glenn stays healthy, Mixon should see a lot more open space in front of him and a lot less traffic in the backfield, giving him a much better chance of fulfilling his immense potential.

Arguably no running back taken in the 2017 draft has more to prove than Mixon. On talent alone he should have been a first-round selection, as he showed a complete package of skills at Oklahoma. The 6-1, 226-pound back has elite burst, exceptional elusiveness and the strength and bulk to thwart tacklers with stiff arms or simply lower his shoulder and grind out extra yards. He also flashed soft hands and plus route-running ability, along with a willingness to pass protect, making him a true three-down option. Overshadowing his on-field skills is a volatile off-field reputation, and a 2014 incident in which he punched a female student led to a suspension for that entire season. The Bengals drafted Mixon in the second round and have a history of taking on talented players with similar risk profiles, but as Vontaze Burfict has shown, they aren't always able to keep such players on the straight and narrow. With Jeremy Hill struggling the past two years and Giovani Bernard recovering from a torn ACL, the door is wide open for Mixon to take on a large workload for Cincinnati right away, but he'll be on a very short leash if further off-field troubles surface.