Adonai Mitchell is looking to stake his claim to the New York Jets’ WR2 spot.
From the looks of it, the 23-year-old has been making a strong impression in OTAs thus far.
In a clip shared to the Jets’ social media, Mitchell connects with starting quarterback Geno Smith on a deep touchdown grab against the coverage of safety Andre Cisco.
Mitchell is running a vertical route along the sideline, and with Cisco to the inside, Smith decides to place the ball back-shoulder, dropping it in with beautiful placement away from Cisco. Mitchell contorts back to the ball, makes the grab, and gets his feet in bounds for the score.
A 2024 second-round pick out of Texas, Mitchell is looking to finally capitalize on the high ceiling that he has displayed across two years in the NFL. Mitchell has consistently displayed some of the best separation metrics at the wide receiver position, but it has not translated to production, due to a combination of factors both in and out of his control.
Outside of Mitchell’s control has been the poor quarterbacking he’s dealt with. From Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis to Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor, and Brady Cook in New York, Mitchell has constantly been missed when open.
However, Mitchell needs to hone in on his propensity for drops. In his career, Mitchell has 10 drops against just 56 receptions, per Pro Football Focus, giving him a poor drop rate of 15.2%.
The quarterback factor is outside of Mitchell’s control, but he can impress the Jets’ coaches this summer by showing improvement as a pass catcher. With more plays like the back-shoulder touchdown catch from Smith, he could end up being the Jets’ No. 2 wideout when they take the field in Nashville on September 13.
