From now until the 2023 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Texas WR Adonai Mitchell.
#5 Adonai Mitchell WR Texas – 6022/205 lbs. (Senior Rs.)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Adonai Mitchell | 6022/205 | 9 | 32 3/8 | 77 5/8 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.34 | 1.52 | DNP | DNP | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 11’4″ | 39 | DNP |
THE GOOD
— Natural X-receiver build
— Skills to win at all three levels
— Very smooth runner at 6-4, bursts off the line of scrimmage
— Faced high-level competition, including a standout performance against first-round prospect Kool-Aid McKinstry
— Fantastic body control; he contorts his body to make standout catches
— Shifty cuts give glimpses of elite route-running potential
— Tracks the football well and high-points jump balls
— Dangerous in the red zone, 11 total touchdowns in 2023
— Pure hand catcher, consistently catches with diamond form away from his body
The Bad
— Effort was inconsistent when plays weren’t going his way
— Sloppy route running; he needs to tighten up his cuts
— Play strength can be underwhelming, allowing cornerbacks to move him off his route stem
— Blocking needs work overall, intensity and technique
— He needs to eliminate the extra steps on comebacks and curls
— He can run routes too upright, adding difficulty to route cuts
— Pure boundary receiver without slot experience
Bio
— Turns 22 in October
— Transferred from Georgia following the 2022 season
— 876 career college snaps on passing downs
— 28 career college starts
— 55 catches, 845 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023
— 93 catches, 1,407 yards, and 18 touchdowns in college career
— Missed nine games in 2022 with a lingering high ankle sprain
— Committed to Georgia as a 3-star prospect out of Antioch, Tennessee
— 71.9 overall PFF grade in 2023, 74.9 receiving grade
— 2023 Second-team All Big-12, 2023 Big-12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year, two-time CFP Champion (2021, 2022)
Tape Breakdown
Making offseason headlines, Georgia receiver Mitchell transferred to Texas for the 2023 season. Labeled as an athletic playmaker who struggled to stay on the field and consistently produce, Mitchell quieted these concerns with 845 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.
Mitchell is a true boundary receiver, recording over 80 percent of his snaps on the outside. He has the necessary frame with a long 6-foot-4 build. Mitchell’s athleticism pops off the screen. He bursts off the line and runs with a bounce to his steps. Few receiving prospects with 6’4” size maintain the effortless fluidity that Mitchell plays with.
Mitchell’s body control is impressive and allows him to contort to catch jump balls. He tracks the ball well, which leads to contested catch wins. Below is a perfect example, with Mitchell squaring off against Kool-Aid McKinstry, a first-round cornerback prospect. Mitchell sets up with a quick release on the outside, but the magic happens at the catch point. Mitchell maintains distance from the sideline while running his route, which allows him to separate at the last moment and fade to the outside. While doing this, he manages to effortlessly contort his upper body, track the football, and immediately twist so McKinstry can’t make a play on the ball.
Mitchell’s natural athleticism lends him the potential as both a dangerous route runner and separator. He’s shown glimpses of a release package, route nuance, and distance separation. Most importantly, Mitchell has the ability to separate and win on all three levels of the field. If he can tap into this potential, he’ll have the versatility to run any route in any spot, which offensive play-callers will heavily covet. Later in the same game, Mitchell beats McKinstry again, this time for a touchdown.
Few receivers managed to win a single rep against McKinstry this past season, but Mitchell recorded two massive plays. He sets up his release at the bottom of the screen before instantly shooting to the inside. Mitchell has the rare twitch to beat McKinstry off his release and the flexibility to turn inwards without sacrificing speed. Plays like the one below offer a glance at what Mitchell’s route running could look like in the future.
However, his route running must improve a ton from down to down. While he has the talent to fix it, Mitchell’s routes were often sloppy. He needs to drastically tighten up his route cuts. His comebacks and curl routes were especially weak and allowed the corner to jump the throw. In the play below, Mitchell runs an unacceptable slant route.
He slows down at the top of the route and attempts to separate with a single-hand push-off instead of a route cut. His momentum has completely stopped, turning the slant into two broken motions. The throw was off-target, but Mitchell gave the quarterback a small window to throw the pass.
Mitchell’s play strength was underwhelming at times and led to missed plays. Stronger corners were able to move him off his route stem, and NFL corners will only interfere further. His slender frame only adds to the issue, with cornerbacks hitting him hard to jar the football loose. Below is an example of Mitchell’s play strength, with him dropping the throw following a hit from behind.
Consistency will be the key to Mitchell’s NFL success, which showed up in all aspects of his game. At times, Mitchell ran routes with less effort when the play wasn’t going his way. He also needs to block with more effort.
Conclusion
Mitchell has the talent that most college receivers can only dream of. He has a natural feel and fluid athleticism as a receiver. His routes are sloppy, but he has the traits to tighten them up and become a dangerous separator. It’s discouraging when a college prospect plays this loose, and teams may take him off their board completely due to effort inconsistencies. If Mitchell is drafted by a proper coaching staff, he can develop into a three-level separator and a high-upside, No. 2 receiver. Mitchell’s stock will heavily vary amongst the draft community, but there’s no doubt he can end up as one of the bigger steals in the draft.
Projection: Early-Mid Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 8.4 – Future Quality Starter (2nd Round)
Games Watched: 2023 At Washington (CFP), 2023 vs Kansas State, 2023 vs Oklahoma, 2023 at Alabama, 2023 vs Kansas
