Adonai Mitchell’s rough Jets debut quietly revealed a reason for optimism

Adonai Mitchell’s New York Jets debut could not have started much uglier on paper. The second-year wideout, acquired from the Indianapolis Colts in the Sauce Gardner blockbuster, played 49 percent of the Jets’ offensive snaps on Thursday Night Football and was targeted six times.

Unfortunately, those six targets resulted in just one catch for 10 yards and three drops, including what probably should’ve been a 40-plus-yard gain down the sideline.

Against a divisional rival, in primetime, and matched up with one of the NFL’s elite young cornerbacks in Christian Gonzalez, that’s generally the kind of box score that usually buries first impressions. And yet, the Jets walked away encouraged by their young wideout's debut performance.

Head coach Aaron Glenn acknowledged the frustration with the drops but made it clear the organization still believes in Mitchell’s upside. The Jets didn’t acquire him to be a short-term patch — they wanted him as part of their long-term evaluation plan.

With the playoffs long out of reach and Garrett Wilson now on the injured reserve, the final seven weeks have become an audition. And Mitchell is going to play a lot.

Why Adonai Mitchell's Jets debut wasn't as bad as you think

When you get past the drops — and, yes, they were brutal — Mitchell’s debut actually revealed the exact traits the Jets were hoping to see. The biggest reason for optimism is that he consistently created separation.

Per FTN, Mitchell posted a 50 percent Open Coverage Rate, meaning he was open on half of his snaps. That number would rank sixth among all qualified wide receivers in the NFL this season, just behind Seattle Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Doing that in your first game with a new team is impressive. Doing it against the aforementioned Christian Gonzalez is even more encouraging.

The Jets clearly wanted to see what he could do. Mitchell was the first read on all six of his targets, a sign that the offensive staff is intentionally designing opportunities for him. Separation is the one thing this WR room has lacked all year, and on Thursday, Mitchell provided it in ways few Jets receivers have.

The drops were understandably the story, but context matters. Mitchell had concentration lapses in Indianapolis early (four drops as a rookie), yet dating back to college, he had a reputation as a sure-handed target, recording just one drop on 70 targets at Texas.

He also hauled in nearly 50 percent of his contested-catch chances in college. Thursday felt more like nerves and a new environment than a chronic flaw in his game.

His role should only continue to grow, too. With Wilson sidelined and Arian Smith reduced to just nine snaps on Thursday, Mitchell is already being prioritized as a core evaluation piece.

John Metchie’s breakout game only reinforces that the Jets are treating the remainder of 2025 as a talent assessment period at wide receiver. And it appears as though both Mitchell and Metchie have already leapfrogged Smith in the wide receiver pecking order.

On top of that, with Tyrod Taylor expected to replace Justin Fields, the Jets might finally have a quarterback capable of delivering consistent, catchable throws. That matters for a player like Mitchell, who can win off the line but needs someone who can actually get him the ball.

Mitchell was far from perfect on Thursday, and he still has a long way to go if he wants to solidify himself as a core piece of the passing game moving forward. But in an otherwise lost season, his messy-but-promising debut is exactly the kind of glimpse the Jets needed.