Adonai Mitchell did not have much time to get acclimated to the Jets last season before he started catching passes.
The Colts traded Mitchell, along with two first-round picks, to the Jets on Nov. 4 in exchange for Sauce Gardner. The wide receiver played nine days later for the Jets in a primetime game at New England.
“It definitely was a different experience,” Mitchell said Tuesday after an OTA session. “I’d say the coaching staff did a great job pulling me along and kind of making sure I knew kind of where I was going and what to do. But yeah, it was definitely not something that your average second-year guy would go through. But that’s why I’m excited about this year, being able to get a full year under my belt, learning the offense through OTAs, training camp, things like that and prepare for the season in the right way.”
Mitchell ended up catching 24 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns in eight games with the Jets. The team now hopes that after a full offseason in to learn their system and get acclimated to Frank Reich’s offense that Mitchell can be the complement to No. 1 receiver Garrett Wilson that they have been searching for.
Coach Aaron Glenn spoke about the value an offseason can provide for Mitchell.
“One, to make sure that him and Geno [Smith] create this connection, him and Garrett [Wilson] create this connection, him and the offensive coordinator create the connection, and him understanding exactly how we’re trying to build this thing from the very beginning,” Glenn said. “For him to hear that message over and over again has been good for him. He’s a talented player, a very talented player, and we want to squeeze every ounce of his athleticism to where he can help us and be able to make big plays for us, because he has that ability.”
Mitchell is just 23 years old. The Colts drafted him in the second round just two years ago. But he fell down the depth chart in Indianapolis and the Colts decided to ship him to New York as part of the Gardner trade. For the Jets, getting Mitchell was no throw-in. He’s a player they identified as someone they wanted to add to the roster.
Part of the mission last year was rebuilding Mitchell’s confidence, which was fractured after falling out of favor with the Colts.
“The coaches were very empowering,” Mitchell said. “I think that’s the best way to put it and they did a good job with me on that one.”
Mitchell likened last year to a second rookie season. Now, he feels more confident. He said he has comfort with Reich’s system because it is similar to what Shane Steichen ran in Indianapolis.
Mitchell has also been impressed with Smith as his new quarterback.
“He’s a baller,” Mitchell said. “He’s a natural leader. He’s kind of the alpha in the room, you know, that’s the best way I could put it. He takes initiative, and he communicates very well. I’m excited.”
He is also learning to play opposite Wilson, who was injured when Mitchell arrived last year. The two never appeared in a game together.
“The value with that is those guys actually being together for the most part, because they can play off each other, they can understand each other’s game,” Glenn said. “And when they’re on the field together, just knowing exactly how each other runs their routes so they can actually play off each other, especially when they’re in situations when you have slot formation, they’re all on the same side and how they’re going to run these certain routes so they can get open for each other. Again, having him this whole time has been outstanding for us.”
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