Will Vikings 'red dot' Joe Mixon, a scarlet letter for high-risk draft prospects?

As a player, Joe Mixon is a top 10-15 talent in this year's NFL draft. As a person, well, who knows how far he will fall before potential reward overtakes certain risk.

Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman and other NFL decisionmakers in need of a running back still are forming a consensus within their organizations when it comes to pulling the trigger or the plug on the Oklahoma running back whose skills are as undeniable as the video of him punching a woman is indefensible.

Spielman said the Vikings have spent "a lot of time" investigating not only Mixon but other players with character concerns. Some, he said, will be "red-dotted" — eliminated from draft consideration — as late as Thursday, when the first round begins. Others were red-dotted Tuesday, but Spielman wouldn't say whether Mixon was, will or won't be red-dotted.

But when it comes to character concerns of this magnitude, Spielman made it clear that it's an organizational decision that includes ownership.

"We present everything we have on paper," Spielman said. "What the facts are, what our experts are saying. What type of kid this is. Is it a one-time incident? Is it something that there may be a pattern there that we don't want to deal with it?"

Mixon is the most controversial player in the draft. And he could be on a collision course with the Vikings, who have the 48th overall pick and two third-round selections should Mixon tumble through the second round.

That appears unlikely for the 6-1, 226-pounder with soft hands, power, production and 40-yard dash speed in the 4.4s.

But … and with Mixon, it's a big but:

Mixon was suspended for the entire 2014 season for punching a woman, Amelia Molitor, in the face after she pushed and slapped him. He also was suspended for one game last season following an incident with a parking attendant that issued him a ticket.

The incident with Molitor gained new life when a surveillance video, released last December, showed the punch, which fractured four bones in Molitor's face. Mixon apologized profusely in December and settled a civil suit with Molitor last week.

"There is video, which makes it hard to watch, to be honest with you," Spielman said. "But, also, I don't think you can take it less lightly if it's not on video."

These are tough decisions in a bottom-line professional sport where people are judged and often fired quickly based solely on wins and losses. Or, as Spielman said Tuesday: "We have to win ballgames. That's what we're in this business for."

Also on Spielman's draft board are players he puts "in a box." These are risky players with first-, second- or third-round talent that Spielman will consider taking in later rounds because, "if he does mess up or has to go, then you didn't financially hurt your football team."

Should the Vikings draft Joe Mixon if he's available? Vote here.

Everson Griffen was one of those boxed players in 2010 when the freakishly athletic Southern California defensive end fell from the first round to the fourth round because of an arrest and character concerns.

Today, Griffen is a two-time Pro Bowl player, three-year team captain and arguably the team's best defensive player. Entering his eighth season, he has had no reported off-the-field issues since his rookie season.

"I've been proving my character every year, and now my character speaks for itself," Griffen said Tuesday. "I was mad that I wasn't a first-rounder. But I feel like it was a blessing. It made me work, made me more hungry. I feel like if I had gone in the first round, I'd probably be out of the league because I'd still have character issues."

"I don't know if you're ever assured of anything," Spielman said. "But as long as you're doing your due diligence and minimizing the risk as low as you can get it, it gives you a chance."

Mark Craig is an NFL and Vikings Insider. • Twitter: @MarkCraigNFL E-mail: mcraig@startribune.com