Colts' Adonai Mitchell 'Pissed' About Slide in NFL Draft

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell did not hold back his feelings after falling in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (5) reacts after making a catch during the second half against the Kansas State Wildcats. / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

For most players, being selected in the NFL draft is a joyous occasion.

It is a culmination of years of hard work to get to the highest level of football. No matter where they are picked or which team selects them, the player has a big smile on their face.

But that was not the case for former Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, who was chosen by the Indianapolis Colts with the No.52 pick on Friday night. Mitchell was seen as one of the best wideout prospects in the class and a fringe first-round pick before the 2024 NFL Draft kicked off on Thursday. As it turns out, 11 wide receivers were taken before Mitchell, and the 21-year-old was obviously upset about it.

"Right now, the only thing I'm feeling is, I'm just kind of pissed," Mitchell admitted after he was drafted. "I'm just excited to work, excited to get (to Indy), be the best teammate I can be, and ultimately the best person I can be for the team. It's been a long time coming."

Not the typical response you hear from a young man that just realized his dream. For Mitchell to go from a popular first-round pick in mock drafts to the back half of the second round begs the question of what caused him to slip.

When it comes to his game, Mitchell's talent speaks for itself. The 6-2, 205-pound wide receiver is a freak athlete (9.99 RAS) with impressive speed (4.34 40) and leaping ability (39.5-inch vertical), allowing him to be a threat all over the field. Mitchell is also coming off his best season in college after transferring from the Georgia Bulldogs to the Texas Longhorns. Mitchell posted 55 catches for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns on the way to a berth in the college football playoff.

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (5) catches a touchdown pass against Washington Huskies cornerback Ryder Bumgarner (25) during the fourth quarter in the 2024 Sugar Bowl. / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

However, it seems the main reason Mitchell slipped in the draft was due to rumors surrounding his attitude and character. Comments regarding his effort during certain plays made waves throughout the NFL media. There were also rumblings about his ability to be coached.

While the rumors were out there, the Colts did not take stock in them. The Colts met with Mitchell multiple times throughout the pre-draft process and discussed the wide receiver at length with the coaching staff at Texas, coming away impressed by what they had heard and the person Mitchell was. General manager Chris Ballard referenced the claims made about Mitchell, emphatically shutting down any notion that they were true.

"I read some of the (expletive) that was said on TV," Ballard acknowledged. "Just the typical (expletive), excuse my language, our typical league. Unnamed sources, bad interview, that's such (expletive). I mean, it (expletive) is. It's (expletive). Like, put your name on it. I'm tired of – we tear these young men down. These are 21, 22-year-old men, and if people out there can tell me they're perfect in their lives, it's crap. This is a good kid."

Chris Ballard is going to bat for Ad Mitchell and he's pissed about all of the reports of Mitchell's off the field concerns.

The #Colts GM is on one and I'm here for it. pic.twitter.com/yBu8wGWO83

— Chris Shepherd (@NFLscheme) April 27, 2024

To Mitchell's credit, he did not want to talk about any of that noise. His focus was solely on what lies ahead: Coming to Indy to meet his new teammates and getting down to business.

"I'm just ready to work," Mitchell reiterated. "At the end of the day, people were chosen before me. That's just the reality of it and my job now is to make them pay and to bring the best version of me every day to the Indianapolis Colts. And extremely, beyond grateful to the coaches and the Colts organization. But we've got a lot of work to do. We're hitting the ground running."

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

Mitchell is coming into an ideal situation with the Colts. It starts with the men pounding the table for Mitchell in that draft room: Head coach Shane Steichen and wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne. While Steichen will be the man scheming up plays for Mitchell to make an impact, Wayne is the man Mitchell will be learning from the most. Being able to pick the brain of a future Hall of Famer every day will be huge for Mitchell's development.

"Just being able to be in (the) presence with a legend," Mitchell said about Wayne. "Obviously, he played alongside Peyton Manning and also Marvin Harrison. So, I'll just be able to come in and pretty much just soak information up from him like a sponge. Just knowing that I don't know everything and he knows a lot that I don't know, and just to take my game to the next level."

Mitchell is also joining an offense with a quarterback who fits his strengths. Anthony Richardson can get the ball to any blade of grass on the field, providing Mitchell the type of big-armed signal-caller he needs to fully unlock his potential as a dynamic vertical threat in the NFL. The pairing seems natural between the two players as the Colts look to get more explosive on offense in 2024 and beyond.

Starting his college career at Georgia, Mitchell had a chance to play against Richardson when the quarterback was leading the Florida Gators. Mitchell liked what he saw then and is thrilled to now be on the same sideline as #5.

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (5) and Oklahoma State Cowboys cornerback Cam Smith (3) in action during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

"Freak athlete, extremely talented, a very high ceiling, and I'm just blessed to even be able to share the offense with him," Mitchell remarked about Richardson. "Excited to learn with him, excited to grow with him, really just excited to grow with everybody, Just embracing the new environment, embracing the new teammates. I'm looking forward to everything."

While Richardson is the quarterback Mitchell needs to realize his potential, the wideout believes he can make life easier for Richardson as well. Mitchell possesses sticky hands (only one drop in 2023) and a massive catch radius that allows him to bring in off-target passes. Not all of the onus has to go on Richardson to throw a perfect ball when the target is a playmaker like Mitchell.

"I feel like as a quarterback you always want to be perfect," Mitchell commented. "Throw the perfect pass, make the perfect read. I feel like with my ability – I don't like my quarterback having that much pressure on him. Sometimes if you need to throw it a little high, I don't care. Just throw it in the area and nobody (is) coming down with it but me. That's just my mentality as a receiver."

That mentality makes it easy to see why Mitchell was so upset about sliding in the draft and why he is always carrying a chip on his shoulder. The competitor in him is fierce, and Mitchell has all of the tools to be a dominant receiver in the NFL. It will take time and coaching for Mitchell to put it all together, but his mindset makes the likelihood of that happening much higher.

"I can't think about (anything) but just getting to work," Mitchell repeated. "That's the only thing on my mind. That's all I care about right now."

As Mitchell was winding down his first session with the Indy media, the wide receiver was asked to describe his game as he heads to the NFL. All Mitchell had was a two-word answer.

"The best."

If Mitchell can reach his full potential, that answer will not just be hyperbole. It will be a reality.

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X, and subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.