The 2024 NFL Draft is getting close, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Adonai Mitchell.
Texas Longhorns wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (5) catches the ball for a first down against Kansas State Wildcats cornerback Jacob Parrish (10) in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas.
Given his meaningful improvement throughout the 2023 season, Mitchell is one of the more intriguing wide receiver prospects in the 2024 draft. Mitchell possesses outstanding size and a strong, solid frame. He consistently showed outstanding hands and the ability to catch the ball easily away from his frame.
In 2023, he ran a high percentage of in-breaking routes. He also worked the middle of the field effectively, using his size and short-area quickness to create separation and make tough catches on poorly thrown balls.
At this point, Mitchell is more of a speed-cut route runner than a sink-your-hips get in-and-out of breaks route runner, but there were reps in which he showed a more refined sense of attacking corners, getting them turned off their spot and showing some shake and quickness to create separation.
Mitchell also possesses a vertical dimension to his game, given his size and stride length. While he is not an explosive straight-line burner, he showed the burst and build-up speed to break down cushions and get on top of corners. My sense is that it is an element of his game that will continue to improve.
While he did not face many press snaps, he defeated them with calculation and short-area quickness. No better example is the 7-yard touchdown he caught vs. Alabama corner Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Overall, Mitchell is a higher-level prospect with the size and athletic traits to develop into a quality NFL receiver and quite possibly a No. 1 receiver for a team, depending on scheme and deployment.
There is no question he has the traits to be a boundary X receiver who can win 1-on-1 on the outside at all three levels of the defense. It would not surprise me if he develops into a top 10-12 wide receiver in the NFL.
Mitchell played one season at Texas after transferring from Georgia. He had 55 receptions for 845 yards and 11 TDs.
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