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Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for On SI, Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.
Contributing Sports Writer
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Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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When the Indianapolis Colts landed wide receiver Adonai Mitchell in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, many thought that they had bagged a steal. Mitchell even chose to wear the No. 10 to represent the 10 receivers that were selected in front of him.
However, Mitchell ended up being a severe disappointment during his rookie campaign, managing just 23 catches for 312 yards. He caught just 41.8 percent of his targets and looked out of sorts all year long.
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Some began to lose faith in Mitchell, especially in a loaded Colts wide receiver room that also includes Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Alec Pierce.
But ESPN’s Seth Walder has not given up on Mitchell and actually expects him to have a surprisingly strong year in 2025.
“Adonai Mitchell will record at least 700 receiving yards,” Walder wrote. “I’m a believer in the receiver after a somewhat disappointing rookie campaign, which was plagued by missed connections downfield, because he also showed signs of real potential. Mitchell recorded an 82 open score (top 10 among wide receivers). I’m betting that skill will pay dividends.”
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – AUGUST 16: Detail view of an Indianapolis Colts helmet sits on the ground before the NFL Preseason 2025 game between Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on August…
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – AUGUST 16: Detail view of an Indianapolis Colts helmet sits on the ground before the NFL Preseason 2025 game between Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 16, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
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That is a lofty goal for Mitchell for multiple reasons.
First of all, the University of Texas product is clearly the No. 4 receiver on Indianapolis’ depth chart at the moment. It’s going to be very difficult for him to even see enough targets to finish with 700 yards.
Second, the Colts’ quarterback situation is not exactly enviable. Daniel Jones just beat out Anthony Richardson for the starting job, so Indianapolis might be running the football with Jonathan Taylor quite a bit.
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Finally, it would take a massive jump for Mitchell to go from barely making an impact in Year 1 (and arguably making a negative impact) to suddenly becoming one of Indy’s go-to pass-catchers.
Mitchell might have a better season in 2025, but it seems awfully hard to imagine him posting those types of numbers this soon.
For more on the Colts and NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.