Good on Chris Ballard standing up for a player who deserved to hear his named called Friday night.
The Colts general manager stood up for one of his newest draft picks, Texas Longhorns wide receiver Adonai Mitchell who he selected with the No. 52 pick Friday in the 2024 NFL Draft. There were negative reports about Mitchell’s “poor interviewing” along with difficulty fully assessing the player.
“We tear these young men down,” Ballard said. “These are 21-, 22-year-old men. If people out there can tell me they’re perfect in their lives, it’s crap. This is a good kid.”
Mitchell, who posted a heartfelt tribute to his daughter before the draft started Thursday, was not entirely thrilled with falling in the draft but is excited to start his professional career.
“I’m excited to be the best teammate, person and player I can be for the team,” Mitchell said. “It’s been a long time coming and all the people that were here for the moment, those are the people I truly love. I’m truly grateful to have them around.”
Mitchell caught 55 passes for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Longhorns in 2023 after transferring from Georgia.