NFL's most explosive ball carriers

[wcu]

One Bengal made this Next Gen Stat ranking, and it wasn't necessarily the one I expected...


Rank 6

Joe Mixon
Cincinnati Bengals · RB
10+ yard runs: 26
10+ pct: 8.9%
15+ mph runs: 51
15+ mph pct: 17.5%

On one hand, Mixon is indeed an explosive rusher. His 51 15-plus mph runs and 26 10-plus-yard rushes prove that. At the same time, he's a runner who didn't gain much more than expected in 2021. Sure, he finished with the second-most rushing yards after contact last season (1,054), but he gained only one rushing yard over expected for the entire season. He also tied for the fifth-fewest average yards gained before contact in 2021, making the 15-plus mph runs a bit of an outlier.

Mixon rushed for 901 yards outside the tackles, the third most in the league. He is essentially a runner who wins by getting to and around the perimeter before taking off. It's a slow build, but it can be devastating -- and blinding, judging by his three carries that reached a top speed of 20-plus mph (tied for third-most in the NFL).

The rest of the list can be found here: https://www.nfl.com/news/next-gen-stats-10-most-explosive-runners-of-2021-josh-allen-jalen-hurts-lamar-ja