NFL Mock Draft: Adonai Mitchell To Be Patrick Mahomes' New No. 1 Receiver?

The Texas Longhorns wide receiver is projected to go in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft.

The Texas Longhorns had one of the best offenses in college football this season, with Quinn Ewers being able to sling the ball all over the yard to electric playmakers seemingly every play. 

One of those aforementioned playmakers was Georgia transfer Adonai Mitchell, who was the perfect pairing with fellow wideout Xavier Worthy. His stellar showing in what was his lone year in Austin has led to him generating some major NFL Draft buzz, with The Athletic's Diante Lee even projecting him to be a first-round pick. 

Texas WR Adonai Mitchell / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Lee projected that Mitchell would end up being taken by the Kansas City Chiefs with the No. 31 overall pick. He cited Mitchell's ability to create separation and to win 50-50 balls over defenders, and even going as far as to say he can be a team's No. 1 receiver 

"Mitchell has all the talent to be a No. 1 receiver, but it just hasn’t come together yet," wrote Lee. "At 6-4 and nearly 200 pounds, Mitchell can win over the top of any DB, if not against double coverage. The route-running savvy isn’t totally there, but he’s sudden enough to separate — and his best work comes off of the vertical route tree anyway. Most importantly, Mitchell has a wide catch radius and great hands, having dropped just 1 percent of his targets in 2023."

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En route to appearing in his third College Football Playoff appearance, Mitchell recorded 55 catches for 845 yards, while also racking up 11 touchdowns. This year's class at receiver is loaded, as despite being a first-round pick in this mock, Lee has him as the sixth receiver off the board. 

The consensus on Mitchell based on most mock drafts is he will sneak into the back half of the first round, or be one of the first picks in the second round. Either way, the Longhorns are poised for a big draft.