Rookies are the only ones who get somewhat of a break in the NFL. Football fans are willing to give a new guy the benefit of the doubt relative to anyone older. Once a player hits year two, they are expected to be a high-level contributor. This is the task set for Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
AD Mitchell was a second-round draft pick in 2024 out of Texas, and he was supposed to bring an explosiveness that would allow him to immediately compete with Alec Pierce for Indy's X receiver spot. Instead, Pierce had his best season, and Mitchell struggled.
He seemingly could not run routes well, didn't understand what was being asked of him in the offensive scheme, and he dropped a bunch of passes. It was too early to call him a draft bust, of course, but he needed to prove he could be a decent professional receiver, and he was a long way from that.
AD Mitchell appears ready to have a breakout season for the Indianapolis Colts
To begin training camp this year, Mitchell had a case of the drops yet again. Thankfully, that completely changed in the second week of camp, and Mitchell was a standout. He appears now to be everything the Colts hoped he would be when the team drafted him so highly last year.
He still needs to show consistency, so having one week does not mean everything is fixed. In the Colts' first preseason game, Mitchell caught just two of his six targets in the first half, but that was less about Mitchell and more about the inconsistent quarterback play.
Mitchell does appear to have the right mental approach to what he needs to be doing, and is aware he wasn't catching passes he should have.
After one recent training camp session, Mitchell said, "(The dropped passes) felt like something was in the air or something. I knew it would eventually come together. I knew my hands worked. I knew my routes worked. It was all just a matter of time...I feel like I have a lot of ability, so I try to put it on full display every play, every snap."
It is that kind of drive that can transform a player with a lot of physical skill into one who is truly productive. Mitchell is aware that he didn't meet initial expectations and is willing to do a better job of mastering the fundamentals and then applying that to games.
In 2024, he had just 23 catches on 55 targets, an atrocious catch rate of 41.8. His yards per catch were a decent, but not great, 13.6. He had four drops. While some of his lack of production can be blamed on poor quarterback play, Mitchell also wasn't helping his quarterback be better.
This year is trending toward being much different. The Indianapolis Colts have Michael Pittman, one of the surest wide receivers in the NFL, but an ascending AD Mitchell and Alec Pierce might be able to help overcome mediocre quarterback play. Mitchell, at least, appears on the precipice of being great.