The Texas Longhorns had a spectacular season this past year, making it to the College Football Playoff before losing to the Washington Huskies. One of the biggest reasons was the play of wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, who had 55 catches for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023.
Mitchell is looked at as a guy who could hear his name called in the first round, and the speed he displayed at the NFL Combine only makes him more appealing.
Adonai Mitchell’s Impressive NFL Combine Performance
The 2024 NFL Draft wide receiver class is being looked at as one of the best in NFL history.
The top three are Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze, and then the fourth spot is where opinions start to differ.
Mitchell has as much talent and potential as anyone in the next group, and his performance at the NFL Combine only proved that.
How Fast Is Mitchell?
Mitchell ran a time of 4.34 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
.@TexasFootball WR Adonai Mitchell with a 4.35u ‼️
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/sxTNNON7yH— NFL (@NFL) March 2, 2024
That is an outstanding time that has him in the 94th percentile.
MORE: Fastest Wide Receiver 40-Yard Dash Times in NFL Combine History
Combine that with a broad jump of 136” (98th percentile) and vertical jump of 39 1/2” (89th percentile), and those are the types of numbers that make NFL teams want from a wide receiver.
Notable 40 yard dash times as of 4pm(EST)
Adonai Mitchell 4.35
Jacob Cowing 4.38
Xavier Legette 4.39
Ladd McConkey 4.40
Troy Franklin 4.41
Jermaine Burton 4.46
Luke McCaffrey 4.47
Jalen McMillan 4.48
Javon Barker 4.54
Keon Coleman 4.62
pic.twitter.com/051yvfHTHm— Football Fanatics (@FFB_Fanatics) March 2, 2024
How Old Is Mitchell?
Mitchell enters the league on the younger end, which means he isn’t a finished product by any means.
He will be 21 years old when he is drafted, and won’t turn 22 until early in his rookie season.
Mitchell’s Latest Scouting Report
When looking at just the attributes, Mitchell possesses many positives.
Pro Football Network draft analyst Ian Cummings says there’s a ton to like with Mitchell being so young.
“At just 21 years old, Mitchell is already a surgical route runner with size-defying flexibility, bend, footwork efficiency, and hinge fluidity,” Cummings said. “And he packs in his explosiveness, forward-pressing speed, agility, and twitch, physicality, and nuance to further confound defenders in 1-on-1 situations.”
MORE: Ian Cummings’ Full Scouting Report of Adonai Mitchell
There are also some negatives that make Mitchell a difficult prospect to read. There are some maturity questions, with some teams saying he may be tough to coach.
Despite some of those issues, Cummings thinks Mitchell is a guy who could be a very good receiver at the next level.
“Ultimately, Mitchell has the tools and unique separation ability to grow into an impact starter at the X-receiver spot,” Cummings said. “With projected versatility gleaned from his athleticism, and his high-end blocking ability will be an added boon for an NFL team.”
Why Did Mitchell Run the 40-Yard Dash at the NFL Combine?
There are a lot of teams in the NFL that need wide receivers this year, and with such a deep class, there are plenty of options.
For Mitchell, the opportunity to go out and perform at the NFL Combine gave him another chance to separate from the other wide receivers. He did exactly what was needed of him there, and that was put on an athletic show.
KEEP READING: Top WRs in the 2024 NFL Draft
With there being question marks about his character, Mitchell also needed to show them as much off the field as he did on it.
All the 2024 NFL Draft resources you need — the draft order, the top QBs, the Top 100 prospects, and the full 2024 Big Board — right at your fingertips at Pro Football Network!