Which Colts rookie are you most excited to see take the field?

The Colts have some new toys on both sides of the ball. Who are you looking forward to seeing the most?

The Indianapolis Colts completed the 2024 NFL draft and have some new weapons on both sides of the ball. The draft grades came in and the results were mixed. Most “experts” had the Colts with decent but not excellent grades. The back half of the draft is always a bit of a crapshoot, while the third and fourth rounds saw the Colts take offensive linemen which lacks in the overall level of appeal for most fans. For me, the real excitement came early in the draft, but the player I am most anticipating seeing taking the field was the team’s first selection on day two: Adonai Mitchell.

Taken with the 52nd overall pick, the Colts were able to trade back in the second round and still acquire the speedster out of Texas. Mitchell wasn’t happy about his slide in the draft stating that he was upset that so many teams chose to pass on him. Right or wrong, there were issues that were documented as “character concerns”. Some sighted a lack of consistent effort on the field while others stated his attitude wasn’t great. That was attributed to a mishandling of his diabetes from the Mitchell camp. Regardless, Mitchell slid and stated he would make Chris Ballard and the Colts look like geniuses for taking him.

I hope that is the case and believe there could definitely be some truth to that if the young receiver can put it all together and reach his potential. Just like other Ballard targets, Mitchell received an impressive RAS scoring a 9.99 out of 10. Sometimes those uber athletic freaks don’t translate well, but this guy has me imagining the future. Picture Anthony Richardson handing the ball to Taylor and then having the option to run or pass it to Pittman Jr., Downs, or Mitchell. All he has to do is toss it up because Mitchell almost never drops a pass. The man has dropped one pass over the last two seasons. Talk about reliable.

On top of that, he is fast, is a polished route runner, and is coming in with a huge chip on his shoulder. The draft class at wide receiver was deep. That was a good thing for the Colts. That wasn’t a good thing for Mitchell as it made it easy for teams to pass him over when searching for their next wideout. If that chip does its job, it is going to make him grind even harder. On top of that, Alec Pierce is still on the roster. Mitchell is going to have to compete even harder for snaps. Pierce hasn’t put it all together, but he isn’t a total bust yet. Mitchell will have to earn his spot.

We caught a glimpse of what this offense could be last year, but like a puff of smoke, it faded away. With the expectation that Richardson can take another step, giving him another explosive weapon is only going to increase those odds. Adonai Mitchell has the tools. He has the raw ability. It appears he has the drive. If he can put that all together, the Colts will find themselves with one of the draft night steals.