Adonai Mitchell wasn’t impressive as a rookie last year. However, the young Indianapolis Colts receiver can turn things around and have a breakout season.
Casandra Chesser of Horseshoe Heroes wrote about his disappointing rookie year:
“Wide receiver Adonai Mitchell was drafted in 2024 with a lot of excitement. Taken in the second round for the Indianapolis Colts, Mitchell had a lot of hype surrounding him heading into his rookie season. Then the season actually started, and Mitchell looked like a bust. To say that Mitchell struggled during his rookie season would be a massive understatement. He seemingly didn’t understand how to run routes, dropped balls constantly, and couldn’t figure out the offensive scheme. His rookie season ended up being a huge disappointment, and heading into the 2025 season, there were a lot of questions surrounding Mitchell.”
Mitchell is the Colts’ fourth-best receiver behind Michael Pittman Jr.—who’s looking to have a bounce-back season—Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce. While he’s not the team’s No. 1 option, he still can have a much-improved campaign in 2025.
Will Colts Wide Receiver Adonai Mitchell Have a Breakout Year?
His Career Thus Far
Adonai Mitchell played his first two years of college football with the Georgia Bulldogs. He won 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.
In this year’s season opener against the Miami Dolphins, Mitchell caught two passes for 21 yards. One of those catches was an 18-yarder that he managed to make count with a toe-tap to stay in bounds.
He Needs to Take a Page out of Alec Pierce’s “How to Ditch Being a Bust” Book
Current Colts receiver Alec Pierce knows all about being labeled a bust. During his first two seasons in the league, he only produced a total of 1,107 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Many Indy fans wanted him traded.
Yet, Pierce broke out last season, contributing a career-high 824 yards and seven touchdowns. Now those fans calling him a bust have completely changed their minds.
Mitchell can ditch the “bust” label like Pierce has managed to do. He, of course, will have to work on his game a lot to achieve that. As a rookie, he tended to shy away from contact. That won’t cut it in the highly physical NFL.
Mitchell possesses the ability to create separation and get open. He’s also very athletic and a good route runner, making him a tough matchup. If he puts the work in and develops chemistry with quarterback Daniel Jones, the sky is the limit for this kid.
Main Photo: [Grace Hollars/Indy Star] – Imagn Images
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