Last season, the Houston Texans saw a Joe Mixon many fans may not have seen coming. When he was healthy and on the field, especially early on in the year, Mixon was phenomenal.
In his first year with the Texans, Mixon was pretty much everything the team could have wanted out of a running back.
But, before his second season in Houston even begins, Mixon's job now looks to be in danger.
After reuniting college football's best wide receiver duo on Day 2, the Texans officially put Mixon on notice on Day 3. In the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Texans took USC running back Woody Marks at pick 116 overall.
Woody Marks might end up taking Joe Mixon's job as a rookie
In Marks, the Texans get a running back who has a few similarities to Mixon, which is notable. Marks excels because of his vision and patience as a runner while being a "smooth operator," to put it simply.
He is also a capable pass catcher, like Mixon, and is able to cut it up the field quickly after the catch.
In Mixon, the Texans do have reason to worry. With his injury concerns last year, Mixon put the Texans in a tough spot at times. The team wasn't quite sure when he'd be back on the field after an injury early in the year against the Chicago Bears.
Fans might remember some murky injury updates prompting a higher level of severity in terms of worry before he ultimately returned in Week 6.
The veteran is also going to be 29 years old in July, and for most running backs, it's after the age of 28 where things really start to slow down. It would not be a surprise if Mixon's best was behind him, which is exactly why the Marks selection made so much sense.
Last season with the Trojans, Marks averaged a career-high 5.7 yards per carry while scoring nine times on the ground. He also added 47 receptions for 321 yards through the air.