AD Mitchell not happy about draft day slide, and neither is his new team

Chris Ballard, the general manager of the Indianapolis Colts is thrilled to pair Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell with Michael Pittman Jr. as Anthony Richardson’s top two pass-catchers for the former Florida quarterback’s second season in the NFL. Though, he’s not happy with the reasons that the 6-foot-2 205-pound receiver fell to his team at No. 52 overall in the second round. 

Before Mitchell was catching touchdown passes in the College Football Playoff for Texas, he won back-to-back national championships with Georgia in 2022 and 2023. He dealt with injuries his final year in Athens before dominating in Austin, catching 55 passes from Quinn Ewers for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns. Though injury concerns aren’t why Mitchell fell, instead it was unnamed sources questioning his character, something Ballard is well… tired of. 

Mitchell’s new team believes in his ability as an NFL receiver, and it may come as no surprise to college football fans that Mitchell does too. 

It wasn’t that Mitchell was unhappy to play for the Colts, he was clearly exasperated by his fall down draft boards. Despite having an NFL frame with NFL athleticism and high-level production, Mitchell was the 10th wide receiver taken in the 2024 NFL Draft and the second Texas Longhorn receiver. 

In the first round, the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to draft his former teammate Xavier Worthy with the 28th overall pick. Last year, Worthy caught 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns, but in the big moments, it was Mitchell, not Worthy, who had his number called. 

Well, Mitchell may have even called his own number. In the huddle before that touchdown grab, he was seen imploring his quarterback to throw the ball his way. Sure, that can be offputting to some teams, but if he delivers on that unwavering self-belief, it could be his biggest strength. 

Now, a player who needed no added motivation has a massive chip on his shoulder, and for that reason, Indianapolis has to be thrilled he fell to them, even if the team’s general manager hates why it happened.