How the hell am I supposed to know who this is? - AD Mitchell

In an occasional feature, we briefly highlight any of the lesser-known players that make an unexpected impact during camp, preseason or the regular season.

Today, we focus on wide receiver AD Mitchell:

What he did:

Usually we look at a bunch of different players who had been making waves during the offseason program but Mitchell seemed to be the only guy receiving any coverage, even on days where the media was absent.

Mitchell led the Jets in receiving in the second half of last year with 24 catches for 301 yards following his midseason arrival from Indianapolis.

With Omar Cooper and Kenyon Sadiq drafted in the first round, and Garrett Wilson back in the line-up, there won't be as many opportunities for Mitchell in 2026, but his performance at OTAs and the mandatory minicamp suggests he might be ready to make the most of his chances.

Outlook:

Mitchell is a total enigma, with arguably as much talent as any other receiver in the NFL, but he's never put it all together. Much of this is attributed to his issues with diabetes, which is tantalizing because it suggests if the Jets can get that aspect under control, he might be able to provide the consistency that has so far eluded him.

He gets a lot of criticism for his bad hands, but Mitchell only dropped two passes for the Jets last season according to game charting from Sportsradar, and drops haven't been an issue for him in the past either.

However, his catch rate has usually been below 50 percent. While part of that was due to playing with a bunch of quarterbacks who struggled to complete 50 percent of their passes anyway, and part of it was because a high percentage of his targets were low percentage downfield throws (again from bad quarterbacks), you would expect more. Perhaps Frank Reich should dial up more high percentage looks to get the ball in his hands and keep him engaged and focused.

If the Jets can get the lightbulb to come on (and stay on) for Mitchell he could be an amazing addition to the team and we will perhaps one day be talking about Sauce Gardner as a throw-in to the AD Mitchell trade.

More on Mitchell:

Here's our in-depth scouting report on Mitchell.