You can tell the story of Adonai Mitchell's rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts by recounting the most enduring images of the receiver's first NFL campaign.
There was the critical third-down against the Green Bay Packers when Mitchell left a defender flailing with a textbook route, turned to reel in a perfect throw from quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr., then proceeded to drop the ball after it hit him in the chest.
Also memorable was the dazzling 33-yard catch and run he made against the New York Jets that was marred by his surprising decision to cut inside rather than run toward the pylon for a likely touchdown. Mitchell was stopped short of the goal line.
Finally, there was the trick play against the Denver Broncos that went sideways, when Mitchell's attempted throwback to Richardson was snatched away by linebacker Nik Bonitto for a 50-yard touchdown.
But you can also tell the story of Mitchell's 2024 season through a single stat that speaks to his lack of execution: Mitchell posted a 42.6% catch rate, the lowest of any player with 50 targets or more (23 catches on 55 targets). That's the lowest catch rate of any such player in the past five seasons, according to ESPN Research.
All of that might cause one to wonder why the Colts are so bullish on Mitchell heading into 2025.
But the past week-plus of practices has shown why his coaches feel so strongly. Mitchell has been one of the most impressive players in recent camp practices, showing the full breadth of his prodigious talent both after the catch and on deeper passes. And in Tuesday's joint practice against the Baltimore Ravens' talented defense, Mitchell emerged as one of the stars of the day, his acrobatic, one-handed sideline catch among the afternoon's highlights.
"His playmaking ability and his route-running ability is phenomenal," Colts coach Shane Steichen said afterward.
But this isn't the first time Mitchell has sparked excitement in practice. He was among the more intriguing players during his rookie training camp, too. Problem is, none of that translated to regular-season success in 2024. The Colts seem convinced that is about to change.
Are they right?
"I think as our entire offense plays with a little more consistency, that's going to help everybody play with consistency," offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. "So, I think it's going to come for him. He's a young, talented player. The upside is real high. I'm excited about his future."
Privately, the Colts believe Mitchell possesses more raw talent than any of their other receivers. Yet he's fourth on the depth chart behind Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Alec Pierce.
The question is whether any of this will show once games start to matter. Improving on the details would be an important step in the right direction for Mitchell, who had too many mental errors and instances of poor execution in Year 1.
"I feel more poised," Mitchell, a 2024 second-round selection, said of his sophomore season. "Last year, it just felt like I was ripping and running from the start of camp. But I got the ability to get my first offseason under my belt. Got a lot of time to, first of all, relax and work at the same time. And now, we're in Year 2 and I just feel more comfortable.
"I'm not focused on what the play is [or] what do I have to do? I'm focused on how I'm doing it and why I'm doing what I'm doing."
One of the things that can't be measured until Mitchell gets into live action is his willingness to attack the football while in the air, particularly when defenders are closing in on him. On several occasions last season, Mitchell could be seen making short-armed efforts to catch balls in the air, rather than playing aggressively at the catch point. The good news is he has been doing that it in practice of late, even if it is a much more controlled environment.
For now, Mitchell is showing up.
One of the things that's working in Mitchell's favor is increased opportunities. He's getting the ball more frequently than in the past, and that helps fuel Mitchell because so much of his game is based on confidence. When the Colts get him going early in a practice, he tends to have a big day. Mitchell has a big personality and is a big talker -- he can get a bit obnoxious after a big play, even in practice -- but that's what fuels him.
"If somebody leaves me one-on-one on an island," he said, "somebody's going to regret it -- and it ain't going to be me."
Said Cooter: "Sometimes it's easier for a receiver when you get 10 or 12 targets in a game than two or three, because you try so hard when you get those two or three and sometimes you've just got to play one play at a time, play after play after play. Young players always seem to learn that lesson."
Another variable: Mitchell is not a conventional route runner. He once admitted to putting a little "hot sauce" on his routes, something that might affect his timing with quarterbacks. That lack of timing sure didn't do much for his low catch rate. But Mitchell does seem to be in better sync with the quarterbacks. That's especially true with Richardson, who has targeted him often.
"The main thing was probably building chemistry with the quarterbacks," Mitchell said. "I feel like I run routes a little differently, changing tempos, changing speeds a lot. So, getting right with the quarterbacks was probably the biggest thing."
Mitchell has come a long way since the first week of camp, when he and the entire receiving corps were dropping an alarming number of pass attempts. There was "something in the air," Mitchell would say later. Lately, though, Mitchell's been catching everything and seizing opportunities.
In Year 2, he has the chance to be remembered for much different reasons than the marks he left as a rookie.
"I feel like I have a lot of ability, so I try to put it on full display every day, every snap," he said. "And once it comes together, you kind of just hope day by day that you are able to look back at the day and say, 'Did I do everything I could have done today and was I at my best?' Everything else kind of works from there."