In the grand scheme of the NFL offseason, it’s late May, and the pads aren’t even on yet. However, rookie receiver Adonai Mitchell is already showcasing why the Colts had to select him.
During Thursday’s OTA practice, the second of which was open to the media, James Boyd of The Athletic noted that Mitchell “burned” the Colts’ secondary on a crosser during the 11-on-11 team period.
Then had arguably the “play of the day” during 7-on-7s, contorting his body to make an over the shoulder grab on a deep ball from Anthony Richardson.
“The explosiveness that he comes off the ball and wins one-on-ones,” said Shane Steichen after practice. “I mean he’s been making a ton of plays out here the last couple of days. He’s going to bring an element to our offense that we’re really excited about.”
The Colts’ 45 passes of 20-plus yards last season ranked 24th in the NFL. Of course, having Anthony Richardson back under center will help the offense generate more big plays, but Mitchell will play a key role in making that happen as well.
Mitchell ran a 4.34-second 40 at the NFL Combine and averaged 15.4 yards per catch last season. His presence will not only create more downfield opportunities for the Colts’ offense but when defenses have to be mindful of getting beat deep, that helps open up the middle of the field for other pass catchers.
However, it’s not as if Mitchell is only a deep threat. He comes to the NFL a fairly refined route runner, who will be able to make an impact at all three levels of the field, able to win in a variety of ways.
“Explosive,” said Shane Steichen of Mitchell. “You can see the size. You can see the speed – hands, great hands. Even watching him in individual [drills] with Reggie [Wayne] just the way he plucks the ball.
“He’s a natural pass catcher. Again, like we talked about after the draft, he can separate at the top [of routes]. He ran some good routes here in seven-on-seven. He had some one-on-one winners which was good to see.”
As is the case for any rookie, while the flashes are great, success comes from consistency and continually building upon these performances. It’s early and there is a long way to go before Week 1, but so far, Mitchell has been as advertised for this Colts’ offense.