The Indianapolis Colts got one of the steals of the draft on Friday night when they selected wide receiver Adonai Mitchell with the 52nd overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Mitchell was considered a borderline first-round pick, but he ended up falling all the way to the back half of the second round. While many fans were confused, it ended up working out quite well for the Colts.
One of the perceived reasons for Mitchell's drop down the board were due to character issues, with some evaluators claiming that he is “uncoachable” and that his mood shifts greatly due to the fact that he is a Type 1 diabetic. These concerns were quickly shot down by Colts general manager Chris Ballard right after the pick was made, and he blasted folks who were tearing Mitchell apart because of how far he fell down the board.
Colts, Chris Ballard clearly not concerned with Adonai Mitchell
Mitchell's fall was certainly confusing, and concerns over his character were viewed as the main reason for his fall. Even if the aforementioned issues are valid, it's not something that the Colts and Ballard are concerned about, which is why they were willing to use a high draft pick to further bolster their wide receiver corps.
After transferring from Georgia to Texas, Mitchell enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023 (55 REC, 845 YDS, 11 TD), and a strong pre-draft showing helped him boost his stock into potential first-round territory. When he wasn't selected on Day 1, many folks figured he'd be one of the first names off the board on Day 2, but that ended up not being the case, and the Colts got quite a bargain in the process.
Indianapolis already has a solid trio of wide receivers at their disposal in Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce, but a young quarterback like Anthony Richardson can never have enough talented pass catchers at his disposal, and he now has another one on his roster in Mitchell. If he does pan out, the Colts are going to have the makings of a lethal aerial attack.
While the concerns surrounding Mitchell are noteworthy, the value the Colts got by selecting him at the 52nd overall pick should alleviate those lingering negative thoughts. And Ballard doesn't want there to be these sorts of concerns surrounding Indy's newest player so soon after he was drafted. Instead, there should be excitement with the potential he brings to further bolster the team's offense.
All in all, it looks like the Colts got one of the best value picks in Mitchell on Day 2, even if there are some character concerns surrounding him. For now, Ballard wants fans to give Mitchell a chance, and based on how productive he was for the Longhorns last season, it's not a stretch to expect him to become an immediate contributor in their offense for the 2024 campaign.
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