The Best is Yet to Come For Adonai Mitchell
The 2024 NFL Draft Receiving class could very well be the best we’ve ever seen. You could make a legitimate argument that 10 Wide receivers are worthy of a first-round selection, and at least 20 in the first three rounds. Truly this class has the potential to be unprecedented. A receiver that has been flying up most draft boards recently is the focal point of today’s Prospect profile video, and that’s Texas Longhorn, Adonai Mitchell.
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STRENGTHS
AD Mitchell brings an incredible blend of size, speed, and physicality to the offense. Mitchell is 6’4 and runs a reported 4.38 40-yard dash, and while he only weighs in at 195 pounds, he’s incredibly physical and is a violent runner in the open field, playing much stronger than his 195 pounds would initially indicate.
Mitchell wins most frequently vertically down the field. But not totally because of his vertical speed. Mitchell does so in a physical frame that you wouldn’t necessarily expect. He has linear explosiveness and the physicality to run through press coverage or fight for extra space at the catch point.
The physicality doesn’t just translate in the passing game though, Mitchell takes pride in being an excellent blocking receiver as well. Mitchell bullies defensive backs in the run game and screen game alike. His physicality is a welcomed addition in the box against linebackers and nickel defenders as well.
As I mentioned before, Mitchell is a handful to try and tackle in the open field. He easily breezes through arm tackles, and is always yards after the catch threat. Mitchell excels on double move routes, as he convincingly sells the break, then can quickly reignite those afterburners and blow past the defensive back.
Mitchell is very good when working outside the numbers, showing excellent ball-tracking skills. Mitchell also does the little things well downfield, including leaving enough room on the sideline for his quarterback to drop in a throw. He has excellent spatial awareness down the field, and when paired with his long arms and catch radius, he is a giant target, even 40+ yards down the field. Mitchell has shown a nice quick release off the line of scrimmage and possesses more than enough play strength to break through jam coverage at the Line.
Something that I like about AD Mitchell is his frame, while he appears lanky, he has a big enough frame to put on 15-20 pounds before making the jump to the NFL level without hindering any of his top attributes. If he were to put on the weight, he would be even more difficult to deal with in open space.
WEAKNESSES
Mitchell, like every other prospect, comes with his fair share of weaknesses. While I mentioned Mitchell’s speed and ability to win down the field, His route-running ability seems pretty limited so far. We don’t necessarily get to see a lot of twitch or creativity in Mitchell’s route-running skills just yet. Some of this may be physical limitations that keep him most effective in the vertical plane. I just don’t foresee his frame being accommodating to the kind of choppy footwork needed to be an elite agility threat that can create space in tighter coverage. Mitchell tends to just rely on his physicality and Speed to get by. Michell has always had high yards per catch numbers, in 2021 he averaged 14.7, and this season he’s averaging 15.9.
The Proverbial low-hanging fruit question will be what kind of consistent separation he’s able to produce on the outside when running a more diverse set of routes beyond his vertical shots. I think the silver lining here is that Mitchell is still relatively green, with just 31 collegiate games under hisording time belt at the rec. There is plenty of time to add diversity and more nuance to his route tree. While this change isn’t something we will likely see in college, NFL Coordinators will most likely be thrilled to take on this type of project due to his intangibles and size.
SCHEME FIT
In terms of a scheme Fit for Adonai Mitchell, I think you could figure this one out based on what I just talked about for three to four minutes. Based on what we’ve seen from Mitchell, and of course, trying to cater to his strengths, I would love to see Mitchell in a sort of vertical-based offense. Long developing plays that allow him to work his magic down the field and get open for some big chunk plays.
ADONAI MITCHELL TEAM FITS
Here are five teams that I think could draft AD Mitchell in the 2024 NFL Draft:
Baltimore Ravens
It seems like Rashod Bateman’s time as a Raven is coming to an abrupt end, and OBJ is on a one-year deal. Mitchell brings that Athletic big-bodied deep threat that The Ravens are missing.
Kansas City Chiefs
Pretty much any wide receiver would be a good fit here. But Mitchell would give Patrick Mahomes another big-time deep threat to work with on the outside.
New York Giants
The Giants are starving for something on the offensive side. If Mitchell is available early on in round two, he can easily be in play for Big Blue.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have a couple of nice receivers to build around in Josh Downs and Michael Pittman Jr. Adding a big-time deep threat on the outside would allow Anthony Richardson to showcase that big-time arm.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are also another team in search of a wide receiver to complete a nice trio. Mitchell brings another wrinkle to an underrated offense.
PRO COMPARISON
My pro comparison for AD Mitchell is Alshon Jeffrey. Mitchell, much like Jeffrey is very physical. While Jeffrey was a little stronger from a physical standpoint, both receivers are a handful to deal with in the open field and take pride in blocking for fellow receivers. Jeffrey was also a prospect who needed a little time to develop his route tree after coming out of South Carolina. I think Mitchell has the chance to be even more explosive than Jeffrey was.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Adonai Mitchell has the Goods. Size, ability to high point the football, vertical explosiveness, and physicality make Mitchell the kind of receiver that can make the big play. He appears to have found his footing as a primary weapon in the Longhorns offense and is making real strides towards unlocking his true potential. I think it would be fair to say AD Mitchell is at least an early Day Two prospect as of right now, with the chance to rise into the top 30 of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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