Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

Adonai Mitchell NFL Draft Profile

  • College: Georgia/Texas
  • College Position: Wide receiver
  • Ideal NFL Position: Wide receiver
  • Height/Weight: 6'4", 197 lbs
  • Year / Age: Junior / 21
  • Draft Projection: Late first-mid second round
  • Where I’d Take Him: Late first-early second round

Combine/Pro Day Results

TBD

Background

Mitchell was born in Missouri City, Texas. He started his high school football career at Ridge Point High School in Missouri City and eventually shifted to Cane Ridge High School in Antioch, Tennessee.

Mitchell was named 2019 Tennessean Region 5-6A Athlete of the Year and helped lead Cane Ridge to the second round of the Class 6A playoffs. He committed to Ole Miss as a three-star recruit before flipping to Georgia in 2021.

During his two years at Georgia, he won two national championships. Mitchell was the final touchdown scorer for the Bulldogs in the 2022 national title game against Alabama. In 2023, he transferred to the University of Texas, where he had his most productive college season.

Strengths

  • Such a fluid mover at 6-foot-4; can cut on a dime when breaking off his routes, no wasted motion
  • Some of the best speed releases in this draft class, has reps where he shakes DBs out of their shoes. Nasty wiggle
  • Only one drop in 2023, reliable hands and can win at the catch point. Excellent at adjusting to the ball
  • Vertical threat

Weaknesses

  • Effort is a big concern: looks like he's going half-speed on an alarming number of reps, something he will have to address to teams
  • Talent hasn’t translated to production: never surpassed a yards per route run over two yards; not a great track record translating to the NFL
  • Only nine career forced missed tackles, YAC isn't his calling card

Final Thoughts and Chicago Bears Fit for Adonai Mitchell

Mitchell projects best as an X receiver who can win on the outside on the line of scrimmage. He wins with wiggle and superb change-of-direction ability deployed in his routes. His best reps are first-round-caliber, but his consistency and production don’t align.

The two biggest questions teams will be asking about Mitchell are why his talent hasn’t led to more production and why is his effort spotty.

One can explain the production issue as he was surrounded by so much other pass-catching talent at Texas and Georgia. But the inconsistent effort issue is something only he can answer to. Mitchell will have to assure teams that this issue won’t follow him to the NFL. Team visits and interviews will be massive for his draft stock.

I expect Mitchell to be one of the more polarizing prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. Therefore, if he went in the first round, I wouldn’t be surprised. If he fell to the third round, I wouldn’t be surprised either. There's a lot to like about Mitchell, but he's not without risk.

Envisioning Mitchell on the Chicago Bears, he'd serve as a credible receiving option on the line of scrimmage alongside DJ Moore. Mitchell has the versatility to line up anywhere, though, and he could take advantage of the one-on-one looks Moore's presence would afford him.

Pro Comparison: (an inconsistent) Michael Pittman

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
NFL insider addresses reports on Steelers' Russell Wilson, Justin Fields
Report: Suns to hire two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year as assistant
Pundits 'disappointed' with 'terrible' decision to omit Caitlin Clark from Olympic team
Panthers claw way to 2-0 Stanley Cup Final lead with win over Oilers
Dan Hurley's decision gives UConn another win, lets fans exhale
USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter under fire as Copa America draws near
Four hot issues ahead of Paris Olympics
Kyrie Irving is letting Luka Doncic down in NBA Finals
Forecasting a potentially surprising cut for every AFC team
Forecasting a potentially surprising cut for every NFC team
Five underrated MLB trade chips contenders should consider targeting
Jordan Love believes Packers 'don't have to have a No. 1 receiver'
Week 16 NASCAR power rankings: Kyle Larson reclaims frontrunner status with Sonoma win
U.S. Open: Five players you should have your eye on at Pinehurst
Stars' Jim Nill wins NHL GM of the Year award for second straight season
Pirates release veteran right-hander
Steelers sign second-round OL, complete rookie signings
Hurricanes reportedly looking to fill vacant GM role internally
WNBA experienced viewership and attendance surge in May
MLB players name the ‘most overrated player’ in the league