Colts' Chris Ballard defends Texas WR Adonai Mitchell's character amid criticism

Former Texas receiver Adonai Mitchell was drafted by the Colts with the 52nd pick of the 2024 NFL draft, a fall considering most mock drafts had him going in the 1st round.

One pre-draft report cited an anonymous source that explained "off-the-field" concerns as a reason why Mitchell could go lower than people expect. This spurred questions about character concerns after the receiver was drafted, but Colts GM Chris Ballard had his player's back.

"I don't know...typical league. Unnamed sources, bad interview, that's such bull----" Ballard said. "Like, put your name on it. 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 crap. This is a good kid."

Mitchell moved to Texas after two years at Georgia to be closer to his daughter, Icylinn McLaurine, who lives in the Lone Star State. He won two National Championships with the Bulldogs and helped UT make it back to the College Football Playoff.

Some of Mitchell's former teammates also had his back once they saw the report, taking to social media to defend him.