Adonai Mitchell Has the Most to Prove Entering OTAs

Nov 30, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA;New York Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (15) reacts after a touchdown catch against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Entering the 2026 NFL Draft, the New York Jets’ offense was a topic of discussion, as the organization had barely addressed the unit during the free-agent period. General manager Darren Mougey strengthened the group in the draft, adding pass-catchers Omar Cooper Jr. and Kenyon Sadiq in the first round. 

With these two new additions, the pair have drawn all sorts of hype among Jets fans, with the offense looking significantly better than last year's. Since then, however, Adonai Mitchell has quietly flown under the radar. 

Mitchell, along with two first-round picks, was traded by the Indianapolis Colts to the Jets for Sauce Gardner ahead of last year's trade deadline. Despite showing flashes while Garrett Wilson was sidelined, Mitchell struggled with consistency and dropped passes (6) in his eight games with Gang Green. 

Although Mitchell is expected to have a prominent role in the offense this upcoming season, the former Texas Longhorn will still need to earn his spot in OTAs. 

Adonai Mitchell must show more consistency heading into OTAs

Despite joining New York in the middle of the season and learning the offense on the fly, Mitchell produced some strong performances. In his third game with the Jets, Mitchell exploded for a career-high eight receptions (12 targets) for 102 receiving yards and one touchdown against the Falcons, leading Gang Green to its third win of the season. 

He had another solid game two weeks later against the Jacksonville Jaguars, recording six receptions (nine targets) for 58 receiving yards and one touchdown. 

Besides these two games, however, the former second-round selection wasn’t much of a factor. In the other six games, Mitchell combined for only 10 receptions (37 targets) and 141 receiving yards. 

Although instability at the quarterback position played a part, Mitchell’s inconsistency and drops limited his ability to be a consistent contributor in the passing game. While Mitchell will have an opportunity to redeem himself, he’ll have to do it against the likes of Tim Patrick and Arian Smith. 

Even though Patrick is utilized more as a blocker -- lining up as such for 48.1% of his snaps last season with the Jaguars, per Pro Football Focus–he also had experience playing at the X. Mitchell primarily plays at the X, where he aligned on 42.31% of his snaps last season, compared to Patrick’s 14.06%, per StatRankings. 

Patrick isn’t direct competition for Mitchell; however, Smith is. Both players are vertical threats with elite speed. Mitchell ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2024, while Smith ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at last year's combine. But Smith struggled to make plays as a rookie last season (seven receptions for 52 yards), despite playing 38% of offensive snaps.

Even though Mitchell has the upper hand over both players, he'll still need to prove that he can play a crucial role in this offense. That starts with cleaning up his drops and using his speed to generate separation.

He showcased flashes of that ability in a limited sample size last year, but he’ll now have to do so in a deeper receiver room. OTAs, set to begin May 27, will not be his only opportunity to earn the X role this season but also to establish himself as a long-term contributor alongside Wilson, Cooper, and Sadiq.