The Indianapolis Colts have some solid, reliable wide receivers to boast of. There's Josh Downs, who is still young, but has been improving steadily each year, and shows immense potential. He's already been named one of the best wide receivers in the league. And Michael Pittman Jr. is the stuff of legends - he's a fantastic receiver whose production only slightly slowed last season because he literally played through a broken back. There's no question that these two aren't going anywhere. So, then, the issue is who will take the number three spot. And that will likely be determined at training camp in a battle between Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell.
Is Adonai Mitchell a bust already?
When he was drafted, Mitchell had a lot of hype surrounding him, with many analysts ranking him as one of the best wide receivers available. Unfortunately, his rookie season was... well, not great. He still showed good athleticism and the ability to separate, but it makes little difference how well you can get away from defenders if you can't actually catch the ball. He had a high drop rate, and finished 2024 with just 23 receptions for 312 yards.
Consider how ESPN's Ben Solak described him:
"Mitchell struggled mightily last season. We saw bad routes, bad drops, mental errors and clear moments of frustration. But it's not too hard to see the source of his frustration. Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson struggled to connect with all of his receivers, but he struggled most with Mitchell. Mitchell was used as a shot-play merchant; he was targeted on 40% of his routes against man coverage and averaged 3.9 air yards per route run, behind only New Orleans' Rashid Shaheed. He probably will remain as such while stuck behind Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and now tight end Tyler Warren in the pecking order."Ben Solak
It's too soon to write him off already, but suffice it to say, 2025 will be an important season for him. Mitchell will need to make a good impression at training camp, considering his competition is seemingly more highly-regarded already.
Alec Pierce, one-hit wonder?
On the surface, it may seem like Pierce has this battle in the bag. He had a huge breakout season in 2024, showing he is a true deep threat, leading the league in multiple metrics. Where he falls short, though, is.. everything else.
2025 is the final year in his rookie contract, and as of now, there are no talks between Pierce's camp and the Colts about extensions. It's still early, of course, but the question surrounding Pierce is whether or not he's a one-hit wonder, and that's what he'll have to prove during training camp. He needs to prove he can be effective on shorter routes, and be an all-around receiver, rather than a one-trick pony.
Both receivers have a lot to prove heading into training camp, and while the quarterback battle is taking up all the air in the room, it will be interesting to see who emerges victorious to claim that WR3 slot come August.