Everyone appears to be focused on the trenches, but there’s a realistic chance the Bengals take a wide receiver with the 18th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
They have an immediate need to fill out the third receiver in their 11 personnel sets, while also having a future need at their second wide receiver slot who plays just about every down for the team.
Brian Thomas Jr. is mentioned as a possible target, but there is another contender that hasn’t been talked about enough.
Adonai Mitchell is a prospect from the University of Texas by way of the University of Georgia. He was a 3-star recruit from the state of Tennessee and has gone on to have tremendous success in college. He won a national championship with Georgia and then went to Texas where he hauled in 55 catches for 855 yards and 11 touchdowns. He tested like an elite athlete at the NFL Combine. He ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash at 6-2, 205 pounds. His stellar performance helped him finish with a 9.99 relative athletic score.
All of that sounds great but how about his play on the field? Is he worth the Bengals’ first round pick? Let’s take a look at the film:
Where He Excels
Mitchell has the body control that you look for in a prospective Bengals target. He can independently work his upper and lower halves to catch and secure a ball, while contorting his upper body but also gets his feet down in bounds to make sure it’s ruled a catch.