Adonai Mitchell had dreams of being a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and some believed he would be the fourth receiver selected overall.
Instead, he fell to the 52nd overall pick in the second round. That left the Colts with a potential steal, but it also left the talented wide receiver unhappy.
Mitchell's fall wasn't too much of a surprise, however. His stock was trending down ahead of the draft for a simple reason: He reportedly didn't fare well during the pre-draft process.
Here's what to know about Mitchell's draft-day slide and how the Colts landed him in the middle of the second round.
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Why did Adonai Mitchell fall in the 2024 NFL Draft?
Mitchell fell to the 52nd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after what NFL Network's Ian Rapoport described as a "rough" pre-draft process.
"[His] interviews were not great," Raport explained of Mitchell. "[He was] a little disinterested, was not always responsive. Those visits didn't go as well as people wanted."
Rapoport indicated that he wasn't sure "how big the red flags" surrounding Mitchell were. Nonetheless, his visits left a bad enough impression on some NFL decision-makers to drop Mitchell down the board.
"Teams didn't get a great feel for him, which lets you know why he slid where he did," Rapoport said.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard did not hold back his thoughts on the criticisms of Mitchell. Ballard defended the wide receiver in his press conference soon after the selection, the red flags "f—ing bullshit."
Chris Ballard is going to bat for Ad Mitchell and he's pissed about all of the reports of Mitchell's off the field concerns.
— Chris Shepherd (@NFLscheme) April 27, 2024
The #Colts GM is on one and I'm here for it. pic.twitter.com/yBu8wGWO83
"I read some of the bull— that was said on TV," Ballard said. "Our typical league — unnamed sources, bad interview, that's such bull—. It just f—ing is. It's bull—.
"Put your name on it. We tear these young men down. These are 21-22-year-old men. If people out there can tell me they're perfect in their lives, it's crap. It's crap. This is a good kid and for those repots to come out — I said it last year. It's bull—."
The Colts ultimately ended Mitchell's slide, and Indianapolis should be a strong landing spot for the Texas receiver. They need a true No. 2 receiver to pair with Michael Pittman Jr. on the outside and 2023 second-round pick Josh Downs in the slot.
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Adonai Mitchell reacts to draft day slide
Even so, Mitchell wasn't necessarily pleased after landing with the Colts. He lamented his draft day slide during his first news conference after being drafted.
"I'm just kind of pissed," he said, per Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star.
It's easy to understand why Mitchell would feel that way. Many projected him to be a first-round pick, after all, and his tape at Texas was largely strong.
All Mitchell can do now is show other NFL teams why they were wrong to let him get to the 52nd pick. His 6-2, 205-pound frame and 4.33-second 40 time give him a great chance to do that as he looks to earn a prominent role with the Colts.
