After using the first round to improve their defense by selecting edge rusher Laiatu Latu , the Indianapolis Colts used their picks on day two to attack offense.
The Colts used their 2nd round pick on Texas WR Adonai Mitchell and OT/G Matt Goncalves.
Round 2, Pick 52: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
The Colts began the day with the 46th pick in the 2nd round but chose to trade back to pick 52 with the Carolina Panthers in a trade that also netted the Colts two additional 5th-round picks. The trade at the time worried many fans who had their eyes set on one of the top two WRs on the board at the time Troy Franklin out of Oregon and Adonai Mitchell.
Both remained on the board when the Colts again were on the clock at pick 52. And the Colts, in fact, pulled the trigger to add Mitchell's dynamic skill set to their WR room. Mitchell's size and athleticism match up well with the type of WRs the Colts typically target in the draft, but his lack of production in college caused many, including myself, to doubt they'd go this route. I'm happy to be wrong.
Mitchell's talent is undeniable. His 4.34 speed and 6'2" frame will allow him to play either the X or Z role in the Colts offense. This will allow them to get creative with their top 4 WRs on the depth chart: Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, and now Adonai Mitchell. And one of Mitchell's most important and impressive qualities is how reliable his hands are. Last season, he only recorded one drop on 103 targets, the lowest drop rate of any WR who saw over 100 targets. Mitchell possesses a special ceiling as a player, and if the Colts can help him reach it, this could end up being the biggest steal of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Grade: A
Round 3, Pick 79: Matt Goncalves, OT/G, Pittsburgh
The Colts were initially slated to pick at 82 and chose to send a 6th-round pick to move up three spots to land Pittsburgh offensive lineman Matthew Goncalves. Multiple scouts I've spoken to around the league were excited to see Goncalves as Pittsburgh's full-time LT last season. Unfortunately, an injury stole most of his final season, as he was only able to appear in three games. If he had been able to finish the season as strongly as he had begun, who knows how high he could have gone? Some may have thought this was high for Goncalves, but he ended up ranked 75 on my final big board.
It'll be interesting to see how the Colts view him after rookie mini-camp and training camp. People around the league were pretty split on whether or not he is best at tackle or guard at the NFL level. For the Colts, my hunch is that he ends up being a guard. The team already has Blake Freeland as a depth tackle who spent time on both sides of the line last season. And they don't currently have a clear priority backup behind Quenton Nelson and Will Fries. But I do think there were more important positions the Colts should have targeted with this pick. If they were going to target offensive line, I would have preferred them to target a player who had experience playing center to give them more flexibility with both Ryan Kelly and Will Fries entering the final year of their current contracts.
Grade: C+
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