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Dec 29, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (10) gains yards after catch during the first half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Colts' Adonai Mitchell Must Perform in 2025

Originally posted on Indianapolis Colts on SI
By Drake Wally | Last updated May 16, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Indianapolis Colts secured eight new faces in the 2025 NFL draft, none more impactful than Penn State tight end Tyler Warren with the 14th overall selection. Warren joins an intriguing and skilled receiving group featuring Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce.

There is one more receiver in this collection with the upside to be great, but fell grossly short of expectations in his 2024 rookie campaign: Adonai Mitchell. Indianapolis took Mitchell in the second round (52nd overall) in 2024's draft.

He was expected to push (and possibly start over) Pierce, but that wasn't close to what happened. Instead, Pierce erupted as the go-to deep threat for Indy and one of the best in the league, while Mitchell fell apart with his catch efficiency despite struggles at the QB position.

This puts his sophomore season in a question mark category. ESPN's Ben Solak breaks down Mitchell in his article detailing interesting year-two wide receivers for 2025.

"Mitchell struggled mightily last season. We saw bad routes, bad drops, mental errors and clear moments of frustration. But it's not too hard to see the source of his frustration. Colts quarterbackAnthony Richardson struggled to connect with all of his receivers, but he struggled most with Mitchell," wrote Solak. "Mitchell was used as a shot-play merchant; he was targeted on 40% of his routes against man coverage and averaged 3.9 air yards per route run, behind only New Orleans' Rashid Shaheed. He probably will remain as such while stuck behind Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and now tight end Tyler Warren in the pecking order."

Mitchell caught only 23 passes on 55 targets for 312 receiving yards and zero scores, ending with a brutal 41.8 percent catch efficiency rating. It's fair to say that Anthony Richardson wasn't good enough, but Mitchell lacked several qualities to help his case in year one.

Now, there are more questions than clear answers for him. Solak puts Mitchell under a category, asking, "Is there any stability at all here?" That question remains to be answered, but luckily Mitchell is only heading into his second year in the league.

It also might seem like he's lower on the pecking order behind names like Pittman, Downs, and Pierce, but those talents can help him get open and get into more one-on-one situations with so many other weapons for a defense to cover. Now, opposing defenses must also account for Warren while trying to stifle the top offensive weapon Jonathan Taylor out of the backfield.

The ceiling for Mitchell is high, but his rookie performance was as bad as any debuting receiver the NFL saw last year. Expect Mitchell to enter training camp and the 2025 season with a fire underneath him, as the NFL is not patient anymore with young players that don't produce when drafted in the higher rounds.

Mitchell has an opportunity to silence any doubters, but the quarterback play also has to improve to give him a chance. Despite the QB conundrum, Mitchell has to also complement the passer by trying harder and showing more gusto to get to the football at times.

The former Texas Longhorns star must fight to prove his second-round caliber in 2025.

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This article first appeared on Indianapolis Colts on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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