With the 2024 NFL draft quickly approaching, Jaguars Wire is breaking down top prospects at positions of need for Jacksonville via individual scouting profiles.
We can’t stay away from pass-catchers and their defenders. After examining cornerback Terrion Arnold, wide receiver Rome Odunze, cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, wide receiver Malik Nabers, cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, cornerback Nate Wiggins and wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., our next prospect of focus is wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
NFL Combine measurements and positional percentiles via MockDraftable. Scouting reports by Jaguars Wire.
Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
Height/weight: 6-foot-2 and 1/4-inch (74th percentile), 205 pounds (59th percentile)
Notable NFL Combine results: 32 and 3/8-inch arm length (62nd percentile), 77 and 5/8-inch wingspan (63rd wingspan), 4.34-second 40-yard dash (94th percentile), 1.52-second 10-yard split (76th percentile), 39 and 1/2-inch vertical jump (89th percentile), 136-inch broad jump (98th percentile)
College stats (three seasons — two at Georgia, one at Texas, 35 games): 93 receptions, 1,405 yards, 18 touchdowns
Scouting report: A lower-rated four-star prospect who moved to Antioch (Tenn.) Cane Ridge from Fort Bend (Texas) Ridge Point halfway through high school, Mitchell inched further away from home and closer to SEC country before signing with Georgia in the class of 2021.
Mitchell spent two seasons with the Bulldogs and at first appeared to be on a path toward stardom in Athens. He started in 12 of 15 games as a freshman, taking the field offensively more than any other Georgia receiver and tallying 29 receptions for 426 yards and four touchdowns.
But a high-ankle sprain limited Mitchell to three starts and six appearances in 2022. He returned to contribute during Georgia’s National Championship run, catching four passes for 65 yards and two touchdowns in the College Football Playoffs. Mitchell transferred to Texas after the campaign, to be closer to his daughter and family in Missouri City.
With the Longhorns, Mitchell not only returned to pre-injury form, he also emerged as one of the nation’s most dominant pass-catchers. He caught 55 passes for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns over 14 games, averaging 15.4 yards per reception. He dropped only one pass, per Pro Football Focus.
A near-82% outside receiver in 2023, Mitchell displayed successful route-running abilities on short-to-intermediate routes with a knack for getting open on quick double moves and horizontal breaks. He utilized his big frame to stretch out and make acrobatic grabs in space and at the boundary consistently.
With great long speed and length, Mitchell is an ideal deep-ball target who tracks the ball as well as any receiver in the class. His hand usage against press coverage is polished, allowing him to swipe away the arms of defensive backs as he releases into his route.
Although Mitchell offers an imposing frame, he can continue to improve his physicality at the catch point as a career 43.3% contested catch receiver, with his success rate going down each season in college. He also can become more explosive once the ball is in his hands, having averaged just three yards after the catch in his career.
Similar to Odunze and Thomas, Mitchell would offer Jacksonville a true X-receiver prospect should the Jaguars take him in the first round. While Mitchell can continue to develop the strength necessary to combat NFL cornerbacks, his intriguing physical and athletic attributes allowed him to well-outplay his recruiting ranking and become one of the more appealing pass-catchers in the 2024 NFL draft.
