The pre-draft actions that reportedly led to Adonai Mitchell’s downfall are irrelevant to the Colts.
In fact, when asked about this, general manager Chris Ballard detailed that the former Longhorns wideout didn’t get enough interviews and the team couldn’t get enough evaluations about him in the NFL. He strongly criticized the media coverage.
As a result, Mitchell, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound receiver, was selected by Indianapolis with the 52nd pick.
“What a bull, damn it,” Ballard bellowed. “I mean, that’s bullshit. That’s bullshit. Let’s put your name in, for example. We’re going to crush these young men. These are 21, 22-year-old men, but if the public If you can tell me that your life is perfect, that’s bullshit. This kid is a good kid and these reports come out, it’s bullshit.”
Initially, there was talk of a first-round pick for Mitchell, with some mock drafts projecting him to be selected near the end of the opening round.
But he was still available Friday, and some teams ahead of the Colts opted to select other receivers — the Bills, for example, used their top second-day pick (No. 33 overall). He used it to acquire Florida State’s Keown Coleman.
The Chargers also selected Georgia’s Ladd McConkie with the 34th pick, and the Patriots selected Washington’s Jalin Polk with the 37th pick.
Mitchell will be paired with second-year QB Anthony Richardson, whom the Colts selected with the fourth overall pick last year.
He will also join second-year receiver Josh Downs and Richardson’s top passing option, Michael Pittman Jr., whom the Colts signed to a three-year extension in the offseason. .
Mitchell started his collegiate career at Georgia, where he won two national championships and transferred to Texas for the 2023 season.
As a Longhorn, he had a season where he caught 55 passes for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning him second-team Big 12 selection.
He was also named Big 12 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
