Adonai Mitchell DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell is taking advantage of his increased playing time with the first team with Josh Downs (ankle) out. As per Kevin Bowen of The Fan, Friday was easily the best combined practice for him and teammate Alec Pierce. Both routinely worked with the starters, and notably, Mitchell ran out of the slot, hauling in three of three targets. The rookie wideout has nine receptions throughout training camp now, giving him the fourth-most among Colts pass-catchers, trailing only Michael Pittman Jr., Downs, and Kylen Granson. The Colts' coaching staff trusting Mitchell to expand his role so quickly is an encouraging sign. Downs' progress in return from injury is something to monitor, because if he were to miss time during the season, the former Texas Longhorn could return sleeper value in drafts this year. He's the NFFC WR66 (158 overall) currently in average draft position.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell is struggling to make an impact early in his first NFL training camp, according to James Boyd of the Athletic. "Mitchell has not been the same playmaker he was during the spring when the rookie seemingly made a noteworthy catch every practice." Boyd wrote. "But the second-round pick has been relatively quiet throughout team periods, especially when he's been with the first unit. As it stands now, however, [Alec] Pierce remains firmly in place as the Colts' third starting receiver." While this isn't a promising report, it often takes time for rookie wideouts to transition to the pro game, so it's too early to overreact. That said, the speedster out of Texas will likely have limited fantasy upside in Year 1 while competing for targets with Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Pierce in a potential low-volume passing offense led by quarterback Anthony Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor.

Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell was the team's standout player during the spring and made at least one noteworthy catch during every practice that was open to the media. The 21-year-old refuses to believe that 10 fellow wideouts -- the number drafted ahead of him -- were better than him in this year's NFL draft. "He gets open a lot," second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson said. If Mitchell can get on the same page with Richardson early this year, it could easily help the Colts end their three-year playoff drought. Mitchell's physical skills are off the charts, but he was never even the most productive receiver in college at both Georgia and Texas. There's a lot to like about him in the long-term, but Mitchell will mostly be a dynasty/keeper league asset as he competes for targets in his first year with Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs.

The Indianapolis Colts signed 2024 second-round pick Adonai Mitchell to his rookie contract on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The 21-year-old spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Georgia before transferring to Texas ahead of the 2023 season. While playing in an offense with Xavier Worthy, Ja'Tavion Sanders, and Jonathon Brooks, he racked up 55 receptions for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was rumored to be a potential first-round pick, but he ultimately fell to the No. 52 slot. In all likelihood, he'll be stuck behind Michael Pittman Jr. in the target pecking order, so he'll have to compete with Josh Downs for the WR2 role. The Colts are likely to have a low-volume passing offense in the first full year of Anthony Richardson at quarterback, so he has limited upside in traditional lineup fantasy leagues in Year 1.

Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell continues to flash his potential during organized team activities this offseason and made one of the plays of the day on Thursday during a 7-on-7 period. The highlight-reel play explains why the Colts took a swing on Mitchell in the second round of the draft despite just one year of big-time production in college. He had 55 catches for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023 at Texas and ranked first among receivers in this year's draft class with 81.8% of his catches resulting in a first down or touchdown. "He's been making a ton of plays out here the past couple of days," head coach Shane Steichen said. The 21-year-old is certainly one to watch, but his production could be sporadic in his rookie campaign if all of Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Alec Pierce can stay healthy.