Adonai Mitchell struggles through brutal first impression in Jets debut

When the New York Jets decided it was time to clear house, the first big move they made was to send All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis. In return, the Jets received a slew of early-round draft picks, widely regarded as a huge win for the organization.

There was another piece included, too, more of a sweetener than the main attraction, but still something Jets fans had every reason to be excited about. Adonai Mitchell, affectionately known as “AD,” arrived from Missouri City, Texas with real playmaking upside. He made his Jets debut on Thursday night against the Patriots.

Unfortunately for Adonai and the Jets, "AD" was more like "a D" performance against New England. Actually, closer to an F than a D. He wasn't so much a cherry on top, or icing on the cake. He was really just bad. And that's not exactly what the Jets wanted to see in his debut game.

Adonai Mitchell did not live up to the hype in his Jets debut

It’s not as though Mitchell was expected to be a savior. Far from it. He isn’t even guaranteed to be a long-term piece in New York. The true win for the Jets was securing two first-round picks in the Sauce Gardner trade. If Mitchell ends up a non-factor, that’s fine, as those picks alone were enough to justify the deal.

Still, the Jets are hoping that Mitchell can become more than just a throw-in. The Jets did acquire the second-year receiver, and they do hope he will become a future (or even current) asset on offense.

And given that, it is incredibly disappointing to see how poorly he performed on Thursday night. It remains unclear who the Jets QB will be in 2026 or 2027. The hope is that whoever it is will have more than Garrett Wilson to throw to.

Mitchell's performance on Thursday Night Football inspired little hope that Wilson's counterpart currently exists on the payroll, even if he was able to get open on a few plays.

Mitchell saw six targets from Justin Fields and managed just one catch for 10 yards. The rest of his night was defined by three brutal drops. This wasn’t a case of a young receiver struggling to separate or learning a new playbook, as he flat-out dropped balls that hit him in the hands. Few things sink a wideout’s stock faster.

He finished the night with a Pro Football Focus receiving grade of 40.5, an overall offensive grade of 39.1, a 75% drop percentage, zero contested catches, and only two yards after the catch. He did all of this on just 21 snaps.

His production was bad. His efficiency was even worse. Had this been a case of mistiming with Fields or an amateur-level grasp on a new offensive scheme, I'd give him a pass. But he was dropping passes, and that cannot happen.

Justin Fields is not the easiest quarterback to receive passes from. He's arguably the worst passer of any starting quarterback in football. The offense as a whole is an unorganized mess.

That's why it's probably not the time to give up on Mitchell's potential. He has the tools, he just doesn't have results. His 61.4 receiving grade last season and 55.9 so far this season are not good numbers to be attached to. That has to change.

If it doesn't change, it means the wide receiver position remains a significant area of concern, and one that needs drastic improvement in the offseason.

If Mitchell can demonstrate why he was a second-round pick just 17 months ago, the Jets may be looking for a third complementary receiver in April. If not, they'll be looking to reshape the room completely.