NBA Postseason Best Bets (5/3)
Alex Christenson
Last Updated: 1/17/2024
Adonai Mitchell burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2021, posting over 400 yards and 4 scores, but he suffered a setback as a sophomore, as an ankle injury forced him to miss most of the year for Georgia. He transferred to Texas for his junior year where he exploded for an impressive 845 yards and a Big 12-leading 11 receiving touchdowns.
Mitchell is a lengthy receiver who stands 6-foot-4 and uses it to his advantage. He is a fluid mover who has some suddenness to his game, especially at the steam of his routes. The fluidity pops off the screen when watching him as he almost always wins in any route requiring a 45-degree break or a double move. We don’t see a ton of separation created in the full 90-degree breaks, but he makes up for it at the catch point. Mitchell offers the ability to separate with his arms and body position even if he doesn’t “win” the route. His understanding of leverage also aids in his routes and contested situations — he can weaponize it with the best of them. In addition, we see him display late hands at timesm which helps limit the defender’s ability to break up the pass. He also is not afraid to attack the ball in the air and battle through a defender if needed. Marrying all of this with his length and strong hands makes him a matchup nightmare in the red zone.
Another area he excels in is the speed game. He is not the quickest accelerator in the world, but he can take the top of the defense if he gets behind you. His use of tempo and speed manipulation off the line of scrimmage or within routes help make up for his lack of acceleration speed. This also is evident in those hard-breaking routes where he looks a touch slow. After the catch is not his forte, he offers some wiggle and can make a guy miss here or there, but stringing moves together is not his game. This allows him to pick up some extra, but I wouldn’t count on him being a YAC monster at the NFL level.
- Fluidity
- Strong hands
- Nuances at the catch point
- Acceleration
- Yards after the catch
- Limited route tree
- Second-team All-Big 12 (2023)
- 40-yard dash: 4.34s
- 10-yard split: 1.52s
- Vertical: 39.5″
- Broad Jump: 11’4″
- Three-cone: TBD
- Shuttle: TBD
- Bench: TBD
- X receiver
Adonai Mitchell has a wide range of outcomes when it comes to fantasy. He feels like a red zone savant at the NFL level. His ability to win on quick slants and fades is coveted by the NFL in today’s game. However, this role is only viable to us as managers if he lands in a productive offense. I don’t think he will be relegated to this lone role but is best suited for a complementary role that allows him to hit a big play here or there and find the end zone often. He will be a boom-or-bust player and hard to trust weekly — think George Pickens or Gabe Davis.
