Free-Agent Matchmaker Pairs Joe Mixon With Ravens, Kyle Van Noy With Steelers

Wilson’s other Ravens-centric free-agent fit matched veteran running back Joe Mixon with Baltimore.

Mixon, who turns 30 in July, spent seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before signing with the Houston Texans in 2024. He missed the entire 2025 season with a leg injury after back-to-back 1,000-yard-rushing seasons and a Pro Bowl nod.

“I love the idea of Joe Mixon going to the Baltimore Ravens, and in that way, you get a two-for-one,” Wilson said. “Now Joe Mixon has battled injuries in recent years and he has not been himself, but if he can get healthy and use him at 30-40% clip of what he’s accustomed to being used when he was a feature back, and you pair him with what you have in Baltimore right now, where we’re going to see Derrick Henry just running over guys and wearing them out, and Joe Mixon coming in to clean up.

“He also has the ability to catch out of the backfield, which is something we don’t see from this Ravens backfield as it’s currently constituted. So I love the idea of a healthy version of Joe Mixon joining this backfield in Baltimore, giving Lamar Jackson some help, and maybe you get 80% of what you had when he was in his prime, with the understanding that you’re only going to use him 15, 20, 25 snaps a game.”

Mixon wearing purple would certainly be more aesthetically pleasing than Van Noy wearing black and gold, but a look at the Ravens’ depth chart at running back suggests Mixon would probably be a better fit for another team.

Justice Hill is entrenched as Henry’s backup, and Rasheen Ali and fifth-round rookie Adam Randall are expected to compete for the No. 3 spot. Hill, Ali, and Randall are all adept pass-catchers, by the way.

On a related note, former Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was asked at the Kentucky Derby on Saturday if there is one quarterback he hasn’t played with that he’d want to.

His answer was the Bengals’ Joe Burrow.

“I think Joe is one of the best,” Burrow said. “I love his game, his toughness. He took his team to a Super Bowl early in his career, and I feel like he can get back there with a little bit of help.”