Getty Texas Longhorns wide receiver Adonai Mitchell has been named as a first-round option for the Kansas City Chiefs.
With a lack of glaring positional needs in 2024 — let’s say star defenders Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed are both retained — most media insiders and analysts have the Kansas City Chiefs targeting the wide receiver position in round one of the NFL draft.
That blanket statement includes ESPN insider Field Yates, who released his first 2024 mock draft on February 14. In it, he predicted that KC would select Texas Longhorns wideout Adonai Mitchell at pick No. 32.
“The Chiefs’ wide receiver issues are no mystery, and Mitchell would help the cause,” Yates reasoned. “The 6-4 196-pounder is silky smooth when running routes and has the frame and length to make his mark down the field and in the red zone.”
“The Chiefs hit a home run with Rashee Rice in the second round last April,” the respected analyst went on, “and this would provide them with another playmaker to build the passing game around. Mitchell caught 11 touchdowns last season, and with his 15.4 yards-per-catch average, he’d be great for Patrick Mahomes and the Super Bowl champs.”
Route-Running Stands Out as Strength for Adonai Mitchell, Contested Catches & Blocking Headline Weaknesses
When diving into the scouting reports on Mitchell, you hear the word “smooth” used a lot to describe his route-running. Yates said it, as did Bleacher Report’s Derrik Klassen and The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez.
“Mitchell is a smooth route-runner that creates separation from defenders in the short, intermediate, and deep portions of the field,” Sanchez stated, while Klassen talked about his “functional” routes and long, lanky frame that “moves smoothly.”
That “high-IQ” ability to find open space is reminiscent of Travis Kelce and Rice — which could certainly interest head coach Andy Reid.
However, Mitchell’s threat of racking up yards after catch is “hot and cold” according to Klassen. “Can be slow to turn himself into a runner at times,” the draft scout detailed, adding that the Texas star’s “change of direction isn’t threatening.”
“Inconsistent” contested catch ability and “blocking” were also among Mitchell’s top weaknesses as a prospect. While his vertical speed is considered a strength.
Mitchell sounds a bit like veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling and could be a possibility to replace him.
Sanchez concluded: “Overall, Mitchell’s combination of size, athleticism, and ability to run routes make him an intriguing prospect. He appears to be best served in an offense that has pre-snap motion and utilizes stacked alignments to give Mitchell free releases into the defense.”
Chiefs Analyst Suggests Alternative MVS-Like WR at Pick No. 32
This is another deep WR class in 2024, so there should be several options for the Chiefs at pick No. 32 — or they could even trade up for a prospect that they love in the right scenario.
On February 19, A-to-Z Sports media member Charles Goldman suggested an alternative selection in round one: Oregon WR Troy Franklin.
“Assuming that Marquez Valdes-Scantling will be released for salary-cap reasons, the Chiefs need to find themselves a deep threat at the wide receiver position,” Goldman noted. Continuing: “Oregon WR Troy Franklin has near-effortless acceleration and deep speed, but he’s also so much more than a deep threat.”
“Kansas City used a ton of comeback routes during the 2023 NFL season, and that happens to be one of the routes that Franklin is best at,” he explained. “The way that [Franklin is] able to sink his hips and get turned around as a ‘bigger’ wide receiver is quite nice. Franklin is elusive with the ball in his hands, forcing 14 missed tackles in 2023. That’s as many forced missed tackles as Marvin Harrison Jr. and Ladd McConkey combined.”
Goldman did acknowledge that Franklin needs to bulk up a bit to produce at the NFL level.