The Jets made one of the more eye-catching moves of the 2025 NFL trade deadline when they shipped Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts, and the return package included more than just two first-round picks. New York also landed wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, a player who had not found much traction in Indianapolis or, at first, in his brief time with the Jets.
Now Mitchell is being circled as a possible 2026 breakout, and Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic pointed to one development that stands out. “He was a standout in the spring as his chemistry grew with Geno Smith - in the practices media attended, Smith looked his way even more than Garrett Wilson,” Rosenblatt writes.
That kind of connection matters, especially for a young receiver trying to turn tools into production. Mitchell entered the league with the kind of size and speed that made him a compelling prospect, but the results with the Colts never matched the profile. In 25 games over a season and a half in Indianapolis, he finished with 464 yards on 32 catches and no touchdowns.
His stretch with the Jets has been more encouraging. In eight games, Mitchell has posted 301 yards on 24 receptions with two touchdowns. Garrett Wilson was out during that run, and the quarterback play around Mitchell was described as terrible, which makes the numbers even more interesting.
The path to a bigger year is there. Mitchell will have to fight for targets with Wilson, Omar Cooper Jr., Kenyon Sadiq, and Breece Hall, but he is also locked into the starting lineup with Wilson and Cooper. If the spring chemistry with Smith carries into the season, Mitchell has a real chance to take off in his third year.
For the Jets, that makes him the clearest breakout name on the board heading into 2026.
In Other News...
Jets Fans Have A New Geno Smith Problem Before Camp
Geno Smith is back in the news for reasons the Jets would rather not have attached to their quarterback room heading into camp. A July 6 traffic stop in Florida led to a speeding citation and a separate issue for failing to produce his drivers license, adding another off-field distraction to a summer already heavy with questions around him.
The larger concern is the broader pattern now hanging over Smith, with the NFL and the Jets both acknowledging the situation but declining to say much more. Smith has not been charged with any crime, but the combination of the traffic stop and the ongoing police attention ensures this is not the kind of background noise a team wants following its players into training camp. [Read more 🡒]
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Among the names that fit that discussion are Jerome Baker, Matt Milano and Elandon Roberts, each offering a different kind of depth and experience. Bobby Okereke is also in the mix as a theoretical target, though the fit is less straightforward if he is not inclined to step into a backup role, and Milanos upside comes with the obvious caveat that health has been a recurring issue. [Read more 🡒]
Demario Davis Just Gave Jets Fans A Familiar Reason To Worry
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For the Jets, the appeal goes beyond what Davis still does on Sundays. He has made it clear that his role is tied to the standard the organization wants to set, the sort of presence that can shape a locker room as much as a defense. That makes his return feel bigger than a reunion, because if he is being asked to help define the culture again, the expectations around what comes next are already pretty high. [Read more 🡒]