During his end-of-season press conference, general manager Chris Ballard was asked about AD Mitchell, his rookie season, and what has to improve.
In short, the Colts are going to need more consistency from Mitchell in Year 2.
“Like any young player, there’s going to be a maturation process with him,” Ballard said via the team site. “And he has some definitely, really strong moments, but we need more consistent moments from him.”
This, of course, is normal for just about any young player as they navigate the learning curve that comes with making the jump from college to the NFL level.
Mitchell would finish his rookie season catching just 23-of-51 targets (45.1%) at 13.6 yards per catch with no touchdowns. Early on in the season, he and quarterback Anthony Richardson were often not on the same page and dropped passes were an issue throughout the year.
The up and down play of Mitchell, along with a breakout season from Alec Pierce, often resulted in him playing anywhere from just 10-15 snaps per game and sometimes being the fifth receiver on the depth chart behind Ashton Dulin in terms of playing time.
However, despite the inconsistent play, what’s obvious about Mitchell is he has the ability to get open. With an impressive combination of route running and athleticism, he is difficult to defend and knows how to create separation.
During the second half of the season, he had his moments where he provided a more steady presence, which included a six catch, 71 yard performance in Week 10. In Weeks 16 and 17, Mitchell caught 3-of-4 passes for an impressive 58 yards.
The talent is there, that’s never been in question, but now it’s about honing in on the finer details that comes with being an NFL wide receiver. Like many second year players, having a full offseason to hone his craft along with being in the same offensive system for a second year can be catalysts towards improved play.
But with that said, while this Colts’ roster needs more competition overall, the receiver room already has plenty and playing time for Mitchell–an early round pick–is going to have to be earned with Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, and Pierce all returning next season.