Colts HC Shane Steichen has seen significant growth from WR Josh Downs this offseason. "He was explosive Year 1, but you can see he's taking it to another level in the offseason and obviously starting into training camp," Steichen said. "He's making a ton of plays right now, which is good for us. So, we've got to continue that for sure."
The Athletic's James Boyd highlighted WR Josh Downs as the Colts' 2024 breakout player. It's a noteworthy selection after Indianapolis added WR Adonai Mitchell with the 52nd overall pick of this spring's draft. Downs, though, was a Round 3 pick just a year ago. And Boyd noted that he and QB Anthony Richardson connected often this spring.
The Colts selected Texas WR Adonai Mitchell in Round 2 of the NFL Draft. The 6’2, 205-pounder registered a 4.34-second 40 time and 39.5-inch vertical at the Combine. It earned him a 9.99 Relative Athletic Score that ranks 5th out of 3,402 WRs from 1987 to 2024. Mitchell’s college production never matched that size-athleticism combo, though. He totaled just 38 catches in 21 games for Georgia across 2021 and 2022, with a left high-ankle sprain ruining his sophomore season. Mitchell transferred to Texas this past year and set career highs with 55 catches, 845 yards, and 11 TDs. But he ranked a distant second to WR Xavier Worthy in catches and yards and underwhelmed in advanced metrics. Among 286 WRs with 50+ targets last year, Mitchell ranked just 98th in Pro Football Focus receiving grade and 179th in yards per route. His raw athleticism shows up on deep balls and contested catches, but the tape also shows below-average play strength and inconsistent effort. The ceiling here is undoubtedly high if everything clicks. But the floor is also scary-low. We’ve seen plenty of big, hyper-athletic WRs bust. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Mitchell also didn’t interview well in the pre-draft process. With the Colts, he’ll enter training camp as the favorite to play on the outside over Alec Pierce. Even if he wins that role, Mitchell will profile as a volatile best ball pick.
Texas WR Xavier Worthy stole the headlines with his 4.21-second 40-yard dash at the Combine on Saturday. But teammate Adonai Mitchell had the more impressive overall workout. The junior wideout earned a 9.98 Relative Athletic Score, a composite measurement of athleticism that factors in all the Combine tests and player size. It's the eighth-highest RAS score among 3,063 WRs from 1987 to 2024. Mitchell checked into Indianapolis at 6'2, 205 pounds and then registered a 4.34-second 40-yard dash, a 39.5-inch vertical, and a 136-inch broad jump. Considered a potential first-round pick prior to that showing, Mitchell now seems like a good bet to hear his name called on the first night of April's draft. His dynasty stock is ascending.
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