The Houston Texans are only a few weeks away from entering their second season with Joe Mixon in the fold within their backfield as their lead contributor, and before training camp has even started, the two-time Pro Bowler has already landed some major claims his way for what to expect this coming year.
The latest take surrounding Mixon comes from ESPN amid their top ten running back ranking, where insider Jeremy Fowler polled from anonymous NFL executives, scouts, and coaches, stacking up the best talents at the position come next season.
And while the Texans runner didn't quite manage to poke his head into the top-five range, Mixon still found himself as the ninth-best running back in the NFL per league personnel, with one executive giving notable praise to his vision, footwork, and balance.
"Mixon looked rejuvenated in Houston after the Texans acquired him in a trade with Cincinnati in March 2024," Fowler wrote. "He's not a home run hitter, with a career average of 4.1 yards per carry over eight seasons. But he's got just about everything else. 'Really good vision, feet, contact balance -- a hammer in the run game,' an NFL personnel evaluator said. 'Looked worn down at the end of the season, but overall that was a really good trade for Houston."
It's a strong step for Mixon, who was only an honorable mention in 2024's rankings after coming aboard to Houston from the Cincinnati Bengals, and now finds his footing back among the top 10.
Mixon, who will be heading into his ninth-career season with Houston this coming year, rattling off his fifth-ever 1,000-yard campaign in just 14 games, while also hauling in 11 touchdowns on the ground.
While not quite to the level of the likes of Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry, who ranked one and two on the list, respectively, after their dominant seasons, still clearly among the top names at running back once the regular season kicks off in September, and has the confidence from those in the building for NFL teams that he can keep it going for another year.
This coming season will look a bit different for Mixon, as he'll be set to share touches in the backfield with veteran acquisition Nick Chubb. It remains to be seen just how the carries will be split up, but if Mixon can keep a steady hand from what we saw through the beginning portion of last year, he should have no issue commanding that RB1 workload once again.
