Adonai Mitchell is coming off a disappointing rookie year. Can the Indianapolis Colts’ wide receiver step up in 2025?
ESPN‘s Ben Solak wrote about Mitchell in his article about second-year wide receivers.
“Mitchell struggled mightily last season,” wrote Solak. “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.”
Anthony Richardson will compete with Daniel Jones for the Colts’ starting quarterback spot. Mitchell could emerge as an offensive weapon for whoever wins the job.
Will Indianapolis Colts Wide Receiver Adonai Mitchell Step Up in 2025?
Mitchell’s Career Thus Far
Adonai Mitchell played his first two years of college football with the Georgia Bulldogs, winning national championships in both seasons.
Mitchell then transferred to the University of Texas. In his lone season with the Longhorns, he caught 55 passes for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was named Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year and was selected to the All-Big 12 Second-team.
Indianapolis selected Mitchell in the second round (52nd overall pick) of the 2024 NFL Draft. Many Colts fans wanted the team to trade up and land Marvin Harrison Jr. That made sense, knowing he was the top receiver prospect in the draft and his dad, Marvin Harrison, is a Colts legend.
However, a trade never happened, and Harrison Jr. was drafted fourth overall by the Arizona Cardinals. The former Ohio State star went on to have a great rookie year, catching 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Mitchell recorded just 23 receptions, 312 receiving yards, and zero touchdowns as a rookie last season. He had a few solid performances, like his 71-yard game against the Buffalo Bills. He caught all six targets in that contest.
It’ll Be a Difficult Task
Adonai Mitchell vs. Alec Pierce was supposed to be a big deal last year. Yet, Pierce ended up having a breakout year for the Colts. Sports Illustrated’s Drake Wally wrote about this:
“He was expected to push (and possibly start over) Pierce, but that wasn’t close to what happened. Instead, Pierce erupted as the go-to deep threat for Indy and one of the best in the league, while Mitchell fell apart with his catch efficiency despite struggles at the QB position.”
In 2024, Mitchell was Indy’s fourth-best pass-catcher, stuck behind Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Pierce. And now, he’ll more than likely be fifth behind rookie Tyler Warren.
Warren, who the Colts selected 14th overall in this year’s NFL draft, could emerge as a Rookie of the Year candidate. He could pull a Brock Bowers and reach 1,000 receiving yards in 2025.
With that said it will be difficult for Mitchell to get many targets. But due to injuries and poor play from other pass-catchers, he could get an opportunity to have a solid sophomore season in Indy.
Main Image: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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