Through a thorough analysis of a cookbook (not unlike a certain Elrick brother), I have uncovered the recipe for Adonai Mitchell’s success. The ingredients are as follows:
- 1 cup of snaps at the X Wide Receiver position.
- 1⁄4 cup of Reggie Wayne mentorship.
- A sprinkle of crushed walnuts.
- A layer of Shane Steichen play designs.
- 1 tablespoon of Anthony Richardson at QB.
- a base of his existing fluidity, size (6’2 205 lb.), athleticism (9.99 RAS), and hands (lowest drop % in 2023 Draft Class) to work from.
Step 1: The Right Mentality
Mixing Adonai’s passion and determination to prove doubters wrong with Wide Receiver coach Reggie Wayne’s mentorship should prove to be a fruitful combination. Wayne was famous as a receiver for his dedication to his route running craft as well as his mentorship of both TY Hilton (and then by proxy Michael Pittman Jr.).
If Wayne can instill with Mitchell the habits of what it means to be a pro, while also giving him tips to further refine his route running, Mitchell could turn into a devastating weapon at multiple levels of the field.
Step 2: The Right Diet
With a personal chef crafting a diet plan for Mitchell to manage his Type 1 diabetes, AD will be able to limit low blood sugar occurrences. This will help him leave good impressions on his teammates and coaches, as sometimes low blood sugar can cause a person to be more irritable. If the low blood sugar was the reason for rumored “bad interviews” then having a personal chef would erase this concern entirely if Adonai Mitchell follows the diet plan. Ex: Some walnuts are good for Type 1 Diabetics.
Step 3: The Right Role
Adonai Mitchell will step into X Wide Receiver role in the offense while being the designated deep threat on most of his routes. Using his insane athleticism and strong ability at the catch point, this role will ensure he can stress defenses vertically and help the rest of the offensive playmakers have more space underneath.
He also will be used at intermediate dig & out routes where he had a very high end success rate. By being the X receiver, Mitchell will be asked to go up against press coverage more often with his proximity to the line of scrimmage. Thankfully, that suits his strengths just fine at 83% collegiate success rate vs Press coverage.
Adonai Mitchell doesn't have a perfect #ReceptionPerception profile but there are a lot of positive marks that a team can buy into if they're looking for an X-receiver pic.twitter.com/DCEtPBb8JD
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) April 15, 2024
A proven offensive mind in Shane Steichen being able to design these plays will help enable his role to be maximized when on the field, as will the return of Anthony Richardson. Richardson’s deep passing (highest Average Depth Of Target by a Colts QB since 2018 + the Highest Collegiate ADOT by a Round 1-2 Quarterback in 10 years) means that Richardson will not be afraid use his deep arm.
Josh Allen on Anthony Richardson’s arm strength pic.twitter.com/pRXDjBJTIV
— THE LOUVRE (@BRB_Taeks) February 9, 2024
He has already impressed Quarterback Josh Allen, who says he might have the biggest arm he’s seen (and Allen is the proud owner of one heckuva arm himself). The +60mph ball velocity Richardson can generate will help him squeeze passes into tight windows, which we got but a taste of in 2023.
Step 4: Let Him Cook
Unlike most potential pre-draft landing spots, on the Colts Mitchell won’t be asked to be the 1st or even 2nd option on his teams passing attack from the jump. Michael Pittman Jr and Josh Downs will command a larger target share. This will give him time to further hone his route running prowess, while also enable him to be utilized in a role that emphasizes his strengths. He will still be asked to run a variety of routes in intermediate or short depths, but those will be less frequent to start his career.
In this role, he will have to compete with a Wide Receiver the Colts invested similar draft capital in years prior in Alec Pierce. The former Bearcat is a deep ball specialist with a lot of athleticism and size, but has average hands and still needs more fluidity in his other routes. However with his bigger size and superior run blocking as well as some chemistry with Anthony Richardson already established, the 24 year old Wide Receiver could still retain his Wide Receiver 3 role early on. With Pierce under contract for 2 more seasons, this could be a multi year competition unless Mitchell or Pierce takes a big leap in development.
The lower volume means that we shouldn’t expect a 1000 yard season immediately from Adonai Mitchell, but the lowered pressure should give patience for his big breakout to arrive in the coming years while he continues to refine his craft. Like the best recipes, we must be patient to let him cook before enjoying him at his best. The 21 year old Wide Receiver might not turn into a top tier Wide Receiver from the start of his career, but if this recipe is followed, the results will be oh so sweet.