Pro Football Focus picked one rookie to watch this upcoming season on each NFL team, and for the Indianapolis Colts, they chose wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
Here is what PFF had to say about Mitchell:
“Despite being one of the most talented players in this year’s draft class, Adonai Mitchell was the 11th receiver off the board, at Pick No. 52. The numbers don’t lie, as Mitchell dropped just one pass on 103 targets over the past two years. He should form a dynamic duo with Michael Pittman Jr.”
GM Chris Ballard made it known early on in the offseason that adding more playmaking to the offense was going to be a priority. While Michael Pittman and Josh Downs create a strong foundation at the receiver position, more juice was needed.
Mitchell comes to the NFL with plenty of big-game experience, having played in the College Football playoffs in all three of his collegiate seasons. In those games, Mitchell would catch 19 passes at almost 16 yards per catch with six scores. Colts area scout Anthony Coughlan would say that Mitchell has the “clutch gene.”
An elite athlete, running a 4.34 second 40 and averaging 15.4 yards per catch in 2023 with Texas, Mitchell brings that needed big play ability to the Colts’ offense. His ability to win downfield will not only add another vertical presence, but Mitchell’s gravity in those situations should open up opportunities for Down and Pittman over the middle.
With that said, it’s not as if that’s the only part of the field where the Colts will feel Mitchell’s impact. He leaves the college game as a fairly refined route runner, able to win in a variety of ways and do so at all levels of the field. Like any rookie, development is needed, but Mitchell has true top target potential.
“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.”
While all eyes will be on quarterback Anthony Richardson and his development in Year 2, it’s not as if he has to shoulder the workload on his own either. The addition of Mitchell will go a long way in helping with some of that heavy lifting.