Nov 12, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Joe Mixon (25) is seen on the field before action against the Baylor Bears prior to the game at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

There is a report that Mark Davis has given his blessing for the Oakland Raiders to draft Joe Mixon.

With the draft now one week away, the amount of rumors and smokescreens that will be thrown out to the media are about to hit peak levels. It’s difficult to know what to believe and what not to believe, and there is one recent report involving the Oakland Raiders that fits that description.

Josh Norris of NBC Sports made a recent appearance on Pro Football Talk, and noted that he has heard there are several teams that have received permission from team owners to draft Joe Mixon — the Raiders being one of those teams.

“I’ve heard the Saints, I’ve heard the Vikings have done a ton of homework, pro days and a visit as well, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Oakland Raiders,” Norris said. “There might be a few more here and there.”

As Norris stated, it’s known that the Raiders have done their homework on Mixon — they brought him in for a visit roughly one month ago.

As a result of their due diligence, it’s certainly possible that Reggie McKenzie has been given the green light to draft Mixon, if he so chooses. But Mark Davis has a well-documented and long-standing zero tolerance policy for domestic violence. Yes, technically this isn’t domestic violence because it wasn’t Mixon’s spouse, but he still broke a woman’s jaw.

If this report is indeed true, it’s curious to know what changed for Mark. Does he forgive Mixon because he was 18 when the incident took place? Did he meet with Mixon himself, and get a sense of remorse? Because of the circumstances surrounding the incident, is he more inclined to forgive?

It could any number of reasons. Perhaps this is just posturing by the Raiders — a smokescreen to try to create trade leverage with a team that they know wants Mixon. Maybe Mark started to change his mind when Tyreek Hill ran wild on the NFL last year. Perhaps Davis really wants that Super Bowl, and is willing to change a personal stance to make it happen.

Unless the Raiders do draft Mixon, we might not ever know the validity of this report. But if they do choose to draft him, they’ll be getting a talented back. No question about that. Several draft experts consider him to be the best back in the draft, off-field issues aside. The majority have him in the top two or three.

Ryan Lopes, one of the three regulars on the Just Blog Baby Podcast, put together a breakdown on Mixon for those interested in his ability on the field. As did staff writer Gagan Aujla.

We’ll all continue to speculate if this is going to happen or not, but we’ll just have to wait and see.