Colts' Chris Ballard lambasts reports on WR Adonai Mitchell's character: 'That's such (expletive)'

On Day 1, the Indianapolis Colts snapped a record streak of 14 offensive picks to start the draft by selecting pass rusher Laiatu Latu.

With their next pick on Day 2 at No. 52 overall, the Colts stopped the slide of Texas wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to provide second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson with another weapon with which to grow.

Reports of character concerns about wideout Mitchell emerged following his drop in Round 2. However, general manager Chris Ballard not only dismissed these concerns but also strongly defended Mitchell during his Friday news conference with Indy’s local media.

“I read some of the nonsense that was said. I mean just the typical, excuse my language, our typical league,” Ballard said. “Unnamed sources, you know, bad interview, that’s such nonsense. I mean it really is. It’s nonsense. Stand by your words. We tear these young men down. These are 21, 22-year-old men and if people out there can tell me they’re perfect in their lives, it’s rubbish. It’s rubbish. This is a good kid. For those reports to come out, I said it last year, it’s nonsense. I’m sorry. I apologize for the language. I don’t, but I do.”

Every year, speculations about draft picks and their ability to transition to the professional game abound. Every April, these rumors, whether they’re about injuries, attitude, or similar issues, result in a prolonged wait for several formerly highly sought-after prospects.

Ballard feels he has a stud to add to a WR room that has a bit of a chasm in terms of consistency between Michael Pittman and others like Josh Downs and Alec Pierce.

The metrics suggest that Mitchell is likely to be the No. 2 as early as Week 1, and Ballard managed to secure him on a deal. However, Ballard is now criticizing the process that initially enabled him to do so.

The fast wideout, who is 6-foot-2 tall and has a 4.34 40-yard dash record, also expressed frustration over the delay on Friday.

He began his news conference by expressing his current emotions about being drafted, “At the moment, I’m just somewhat irritated,” he admitted. “I can’t think of another way to describe it. I’m eager to start working, eager to join the team. I intend to be the best teammate and person I can be, and ultimately, the best player for the team. It’s been a long journey.”

In 2023, Mitchell had a breakout year with Texas, achieving career highs of 55 catches, 845 yards and 11 touchdowns. This was a significant improvement from his previous two seasons with the Georgia Bulldogs, where he managed a combined total of 540 yards and seven touchdowns from 38 receptions.

He was Daniel Jeremiah’s 27th-ranked prospect overall in the 2024 class and his No. 5 wide receiver. But 10 wideouts were selected ahead of him, and almost double the number of players from Jeremiah’s ranking.

The fast wide receiver expressed his frustration at the start of his media session. However, he suppressed this emotion as he went on with the interview, opting to concentrate on future tasks. In doing this, he demonstrated a mental strength that other teams seemingly didn’t attribute to him in the previous months.

“No, it’s simply how things unfold,” Mitchell responded when questioned if his anger stemmed from the belief that he should have been chosen earlier. “I get it. That’s just the nature of things. I’m eager to get to work. At the end of the day, others were selected ahead of me. That’s the stark reality. My task now is to make them regret their decision while bringing my best self every day to the Indianapolis Colts. I’m extraordinarily grateful to the Colts organization, but we have a lot of work ahead. We’re hitting the ground running.”

Mitchell will have his first opportunity to make the rest of the league regretful in mid-May, during the Colts’ rookie minicamp.

His unexpectedly extended journey to the NFL hasn’t impacted his confidence leading up to those sessions.

Mitchell described himself as a wideout in two words, “The best,” when asked to explain his playstyle to those who haven’t seen him play.

If such a claim eventually turns out to be true, the path to success would have started with the fall on Friday night.