Chris Ballard read the negative reports about Adonai Mitchell, and he didn’t like them — not one bit.
On Friday night, the Indianapolis Colts general manager passionately defended Mitchell after selecting him with the 52nd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Mitchell was viewed as a first-round talent, but he slipped to Round 2 amid reported character concerns.
Chris Ballard Passionately Defends Adonai Mitchell
We’ll get to the rumors about Mitchell in a bit. First, let’s dive into Ballard’s remarks, which contain some NSFW language.
“I read some of the bulls–t that was said on TV,” Ballard said when asked about Mitchell’s reported off-field issues. “I mean, just the typical f—ing — excuse my language — our typical league: ‘unnamed sources, bad interview.’ That’s such bulls–t. I mean it f—ing is. It’s bulls–t. Like, put your name on it.
“I’m tired of — we tear these young men down. These are 21-, 22-year-old men. And if people out there can tell me they’re perfect in their lives … it’s crap. It’s crap. This is a good kid. And for those reports to come out. … It’s bulls–t.
“I’m sorry. I apologize for the language. I don’t, but I do.”
#Colts GM Chris Ballard just went OFF on anonymous sources tearing Texas WR Adonai Mitchell for character concerns.
“Put your name on it. We tear these young men down…. It’s crap. This is a good kid.”
pic.twitter.com/jdGgyJ48b6— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 27, 2024
Mitchell endured a rough pre-draft process, and he surely can’t be happy about slipping to the second round and seeing his name in negative reports. However, he now has a fresh start and an opportunity to prove people wrong.
MORE: 2024 NFL Draft Complete Results, Recap, Order, and All 257 Picks
Mitchell will catch passes from Anthony Richardson and join a receiver room that features Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs.
Why Did Adonai Mitchell Fall in 2024 NFL Draft?
Mitchell’s talent is undeniable. After playing two seasons at Georgia, he transferred to Texas for the 2023 season and posted 55 catches for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s tall, explosive, and can make big plays.
But teams clearly had concerns. In addition to worrying about Mitchell’s effort level and physicality, some teams weren’t sold on his character.
“He’s got Garret Wilsonesque catch radius, athletic ability, body control,” one scout told GoLongTD’s Bob McGinn. “But he’s almost uncoachable.”
SB Nation’s James Dator quoted an NFC scout who said of Mitchell, “Loved the film, but the interview was bad.” That lines up with a report from Ian Rapoport, who on Friday night said some teams felt Mitchell was disinterested during interviews.
But let’s go back to McGinn’s story, which might be a source of Ballard’s frustration.
One scout accused Mitchell of being a Type 1 diabetic whose attitude varies depending on how well he manages his health.
“Before you even go to the diabetic part, he’s kind of going to do it his way,” the scout told McGinn. “He’s a little bit of a wild horse. You’ve got to see if you can harness him in. Then, once you do that, he doesn’t address the diabetic stuff in a mature way. He’s very much a boom-or-bust guy.”
A second scout added: “You’re going to have to assign somebody to be next to him for his first few years because his issues are all about his diabetes and his blood sugar. When his blood sugar’s off, he’s rude, he’s abrasive, he doesn’t pay attention in meetings. It’s you get really, really s—-y character reports coming out of Georgia and Texas.
“But when his stuff is normal, and they get him normal by lunchtime, he’s out at practice high energy, best practice player, loves football.”
KEEP READING: Analysis and Grades for All 7 Rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft
Make of all that what you will. But it’s easy to understand why Mitchell and the Colts would be upset.
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