Colts’ rookie receiver AD Mitchell has previously discussed how he is trying to absorb everything that he can from Michael Pittman, but Pittman isn’t only the teacher–he’s doing some learning of his own.
After Wednesday’s joint practice with the Arizona Cardinals, Pittman was asked what has impressed him about Mitchell. Without hesitation, Pittman mentioned Mitchell’s releases, which helps him create separation as a route runner.
“His releases are like the best I’ve seen,” Pittman said. “I’ve actually been studying him because he’s so good at it and that’s something that I noticed from Day 1.”
Mitchell comes to the NFL with elite athleticism. During the pre-draft process, he posted a near-perfect Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.99, featuring a 4.34 40-yard dash time.
That combination of speed and burst can already make defending Mitchell a difficult challenge for defensive backs. However, when you couple that ability with his release package as a route runner, you get a player who can impact all levels of the field.
During Mitchell’s final college season at Texas, he totaled 845 receiving yards at 15.4 yards per catch with 11 touchdowns. According to PFF, 26 percent of his targets came 20-plus yards downfield, 41 percent on intermediate routes, and 31 percent from 0-9 yards.
“We were actually in California doing–so we were doing one-on-one reps,” added Pittman, “and he was killing everybody, and I was like this dude is going to be good.”
Since joining the Colts, Pittman has been the model of consistency for the passing game, even with instability around him. Over the last three seasons, Pittman has had at least 88 receptions each year, and eclipsed 1,000 yards twice–narrowly missing out in 2022.
But like any of the top players around the NFL, Pittman is always looking for ways to improve, and the addition of Mitchell is providing him with a another area to emphasize.
