Colts' Adonai Mitchell had special motivation in picking jersey number

Per ESPN’s Stephen Holder, the 21-year-old wideout out of Texas chose that number to serve as a reminder of the 10 receivers who were picked before him in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Mitchell, who was the 52nd overall pick in last month’s draft, was projected as a fringe first-rounder who many thought could sneak into the end of Round 1 if there was a run on receivers.

Seven went in the first round — Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU’s Malik Nabers, Washington’s Rome Odunze, LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr., Texas’ Xavier Worthy, Florida’s Ricky Pearsall and South Carolina’s Xavier Legette — and more started flying off the board to start Day 2.

Florida State’s Keon Coleman and Georgia’s Ladd McConkey went back-to-back with the first two selections in the second round, and Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk went three picks later. It wasn’t until the 20th pick of Round 2 that Mitchell heard his name called.

“Right now, the only thing I'm kind of feeling now is I'm kind of pissed,” Mitchell told reporters after he was drafted. “I don't know what other way to call it.”

If Mitchell’s motivation to prove people wrong is anywhere near the level of Amon-Ra St. Brown, the Colts could wind up with one heck of a steal. 

St. Brown was a fourth-round pick of the Detroit Lions in the 2021 draft. Sixteen WRs were taken before him — something he says has motivated him ever since. In fact, he admitted he wrote down the names of all 16 of those receivers in a notebook that he reads three times before every practice.