Promising Colts' Rookie Likely to Start in First Career Game

Indianapolis Colts' wide receiver Adonai Mitchell is likely to be the team's starting slot receiver in week one against the Houston Texans.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (10) celebrate after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Indianapolis Colts' rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell is in line to start his first career game this weekend against the Houston Texans. While Mitchell starting may not be much of a surprise, his primary position comes as a shock to people that have followed the young pass catcher since his college years.

The Colts selected Mitchell with the 52nd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and he was expected to come in and immediately compete for playing time at the 'X' receiver position with veteran starter Alec Pierce. Mitchell saw a majority of his reps early in camp as the second team 'X' receiver, occasionally rotating in with the starters to get some reps.

Mitchell appeared to be steadily closing the gap on Pierce in practice until the Colts' starting slot receiver, Josh Downs, went down with an ankle injury on August 7th. This injury would later be revealed to be a high ankle sprain, sidelining the Colts' impressive number two option for 4-6 weeks. This injury opened up a spot in the Colts' starting lineup but many, including myself, didn't expect Mitchell to be the one to fill that void.

The #Colts are using AD Mitchell in the slot for the first time today. They won’t have the same pre-snap advantages as with Josh Downs, but the rookie looks decently comfortable.

— Nate Atkins (@NateAtkins_) August 9, 2024

Mitchell's move to the slot is an interesting decision by the Colts, as he couldn't be any more different stylistically than the player he is replacing. Downs is an instant separator that runs routes like a basketball player. His quick feet and sure hands make him one of the harder players to corral in the open field. Mitchell, on the other hand, is a much bigger and a much more explosive player. He can bring that mismatch potential in the slot as well, but his usage is bound to be different than the aforementioned second year standout.

Mitchell primarily played on the outside in college (with just 11% of his career snaps coming in the slot), but he appears to be gelling well on the inside with the starters. He first began seeing snaps at the position on August 9th, and he has almost exclusively remained at that spot while Downs has been sidelined. This alignment shift may have lost Mitchell some momentum in the battle at 'X' receiver, but it ultimately will lead to the rookie getting more snaps in the early part of this season.

With the Colts set to face off with the Texans this weekend, Mitchell is bound to be a featured piece in this offense. He saw four targets (hauling in two of them for 18 yards and a touchdown) against the Cincinnati Bengals in the preseason finale, and the way he was used could transition nicely to this week one match-up. The Colts relied on bunched sets and quick hitters to isolate their fun rookie to success in that final tune up game.

Adonai Mitchell's first (unofficial) NFL TD!pic.twitter.com/YgzwCpXxUB

— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) August 23, 2024

At the end of the day, the Colts are comfortable with simply getting their best three pass catchers on the field with Josh Downs ruled out against the Houston Texans. Adonai Mitchell will have a tough task against a strong Texans' secondary, but the rookie wideout has a chance to be a standout star in week one for this team.

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