The Texas Longhorns have a solid pair of wide receivers in this year’s draft class. Xavier Worthy turned heads at the Combine, breaking the 40-yard dash record, and it has caused some to forget about his teammate Adonai Mitchell. The latter played three collegiate seasons, splitting time between two years (and two national championships) at Georgia and this last season at Texas.
Mitchell played in 21 games for the Bulldogs and finished with 560 receiving yards with seven touchdowns. He improved after transferring to the Longhorns and had 845 yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games in his final season.
Adonai Mitchell: Scouting Report
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein believes that Mitchell will be selected in either the first or second round in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Ascending prospect with size, speed and ball skills to become a very good NFL receiver, but he’s still in the process of bridging those traits. Mitchell can beat press and has the speed to take the battle to the third level but he’s still learning the art of bullying the catch space in tight quarters and jump-ball battles. He’s not always a natural hands-catcher, but his ability to snare balls outside his frame is top-notch. His route running currently lacks focus and consistency, but agility and burst out of breaks will not be an issue. Mitchell is rugged after the catch and has the ability to become a winner on all three levels. The difference between becoming a WR2 or WR1 could rest on his urgency and willingness to go to work on the unpolished areas of his craft.
Mock Draft landing spots
The landscape is pretty open for where Mitchell could go. Most mock drafts have his name popping up in the mid-20s. The Arizona Cardinals currently hold the No. 27 pick in the draft, and pretty much any team after that would make sense as a landing spot for him. The Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers (if they trade Brandon Aiyuk), Kansas City Chiefs, and Carolina Panthers could all be spots he lands.
Fantasy football implications
Rookie wide receivers at least have a better outlook than rookie quarterbacks in the short term. Similarly, landing spots can play a huge role in their projections. If Mitchell lands in Buffalo, he will likely have more upside than if he gets selected by Carolina. Being a rookie, you should expect him to be a flex fill-in at best. More than likely, you aren’t going to be worrying about Mitchell come draft day unless you are in the deepest of leagues or setting up a best-ball lineup.
In dynasty, Mitchell’s landing spot could have him at the backend of the first round of rookie drafts or at the start of the second round depending on what his projected role looks like.