The large 12 months begins with an enormous matchup in opposition to Vikings working again Dalvin Prepare dinner, the person chosen seven spots earlier than Mixon within the 2017 second spherical. However the Bengals had their eyes solely on Mixon and will have made him the forty first decide.
They traded down these seven spots with the Vikings, sensing Zimmer was going to take Prepare dinner and that Mixon would nonetheless be accessible at 48 whereas additionally selecting up an additional fourth-rounder.
Tennessee broad receiver Josh Malone did not pan out, however Mixon certain has.
“I believe they have an amazing combine with Mixon,” Zimmer informed the Cincinnati media Thursday. “The offensive line has received some physicality to them with the working recreation and the screens, they do an amazing job with screens.
There have been some within the Bengals draft room that weren’t happy they did not seize Mixon straight away at No. 41, believing he was clearly the perfect participant on the board. Whereas the 5-10, 210-pound Prepare dinner has confirmed to be a wondrous participant (he is coming off a 1,500-yard season and has extra yards than Mixon in seven fewer video games), the 6-1, 225-pound Mixon suits the big-back mould the Bengals have coveted since Paul Brown and his experiences of watching championship selected frozen fields.
Mixon is simply as beneficial as Prepare dinner is to the Vikings. Within the 19 video games they’ve received since he is been drafted, he is carried at the least 20 instances in eight of them.
“Dalvin is Dalvin and I am me,” stated Mixon, who has recognized Prepare dinner since highschool. “I do not actually really feel prefer it’s a contest. I suppose from a working again standpoint I get what you saying, however he does not really feel like that, I do not really feel like that so it is no stress right here. For everyone else they may really feel like that, however I do not suppose we really feel like that.
“I believe Dalvin is a superb working again. He is among the finest working backs within the league. And it is positively going to be enjoyable to return out right here, and it would be me versus him after which they’ve their receiver versus ours. There are plenty of narratives occurring. However on the similar time, I am simply attempting to return out right here, be the perfect working again that day, finest participant that day, and most final, we need to come out with the dub.”
Two of Mixon’s massive video games got here in opposition to Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther’s outfit (129 yards on 27 carries in 2018 behind Pollack’s line and 86 yards on 15 carries in 2019) and with Guenther now Zimmer’s senior defensive assistant , he sees the scheme he noticed in apply as a rookie when Guenther was the Bengals defensive coordinator.
“They’re stout, very stout upfront. They prefer to blitz the sides and I type of bear in mind once I was a rookie … when (the Bengals) had Paulie G,” Mixon stated. “It seems just about just like that protection. I have not confronted it shortly, however on the similar time I am aware of it. They give the impression of being good. They’ve plenty of good defenders in what they do.”
