Matt Miller’s Week 16 NFL Scouting Notebook

How does the NFL react to a second incident of domestic violence that brings back memories of Ray Rice’s elevator knockout? That’s the biggest topic around the league as scouts, coaches and general managers react to the release of a video showing Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon punch a woman in the face (breaking her jaw) and then casually strolling out of a restaurant in 2014. 

Mixon’s fate will get considerable space here, but what else is happening in the world of the NFL draft? 

Two star running backs sit out bowl games A Super Bowl coach on the trade block An updated Big Board NFC scout interview …and is there a first-round lineman in this class?

                                       

The Scout’s Report

—The Mixon video sent shock waves through the league when it was released last Friday afternoon. And while some on Twitter were quick to defend his actions—if you can believe that—scouts and personnel people I talked with had a different take.

“He’s undraftable now. There is no team that can use a pick on him [in this draft]” is what one high-ranking personnel man told me. A Big 12 area scout I spoke with said Mixon is expected to return to Oklahoma for the 2017 season now.

—Last week, I reported what NFL scouts were then telling me about Mixon from their visits to Oklahoma: He was taunted, spat on and called a racial slur, and those actions led to him punching the woman. But that’s not true, according to Mixon’s interview with police following his arrest, per The Oklahoman (h/t Deadspin). 

Mixon was not spit on. He was slapped by a woman and punched her.

—The University of Oregon announced junior running back Royce Freeman would return to school and not enter the 2017 draft class. Freeman is a big (5’11”, 230 lbs) back with speed and open-field moves, but injuries hit hard this season. In a very deep running back class, Freeman’s return to school and an attempt to put another year of healthy film out is a smart play.

—Ross Dellenger of the The Advocate reported this week that LSU linebacker Kendell Beckwith tore his ACL, ending his college career and seriously delaying his draft prep. Beckwith had buzz last season as a potential top-75 pick and followed that up with a solid senior season, but an ACL injury this late generally pushes non-elite players down several rounds. I’ll move Beckwith to Round 4 because of the injury with updates coming once his rehab timeline is known.

—Mitch Trubisky, my top-ranked quarterback in the 2017 class, revealed to Scout.com that the NFL draft advisory committee gave him a first-round grade. That doesn’t mean every team has Trubisky in Round 1, but that the average of teams polled by the committee put him there. Grades can come back as Round 1, Round 2 or Return to School from that panel. There isn’t a consensus top quarterback in this class according to the scouts I’ve spoken with, but most teams I’m in contact with do prefer Trubisky to the rest of the group. 

—Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey tweeted this week that he will sit out the Sun Bowl and begin preparing for the NFL draft. This created a media firestorm with the entire NFL world commenting on the decision. My take? Good for McCaffrey. You’ve more than paid Stanford back for the scholarship they gave you. Now it’s time to make decisions for yourself. McCaffrey still ranks as a top-20 player on my board.

—The first player this season to announce he’d skip a bowl game and prepare for the draft was LSU running back Leonard Fournette—a player some were telling to sit out the entire season so as to not risk hurting his NFL draft stock. Just like McCaffrey, Fournette has proved his value and talent on the field for the Tigers. He’s as NFL-ready as any player in college football. One more game on a bad ankle won’t answer any lingering questions about him. Fournette is my top-ranked offensive player and No. 2 overall, behind only Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett.

—Alex Dunlap of Orangebloods reported Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes will enter the NFL draft as a tight end. Swoopes, who is listed at 6’4″ and 250 pounds, was more of a bulldozer in short-yardage situations than passing quarterback this past season. This is the smartest move for his future because NFL scouts are likely to see him as a raw athletic canvas they can mold into a box-out tight end. Swoopes should expect to hear his name called late in the draft or even as an undrafted free agent.

—Top tackle Ryan Ramczyk will undergo surgery following Wisconsin’s Cotton Bowl matchup with Western Michigan, according to anonymous sources quoted by Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. A hip surgery could mean Ramczyk returns to college for his senior season instead of entering the 2017 draft. This situation is one I’ll be watching closely.

—Could Sean Payton be traded? For a second offseason, Payton’s name was floated as a potential head coach candidate for teams willing to send draft picks to New Orleans for his services. The report, coming from Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, says the Saints’ motivations are largely financial and that it wouldn’t take “all that much to get him.” 

—The move to sign Brock Osweiler looks like a bad one in Houston. When I asked a Texans personnel man what went wrong, he replied, “That’s what happens when you sign a player the owner and GM want but the head coach doesn’t.”

            

5 Names to Know

5. QB Josh Allen, Wyoming

If you watched Wyoming against BYU on Wednesday night, you saw Josh Allen showing off his big arm and plus mobility. …

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