How AD Mitchell and Laitu Latu fared in their NFL Debuts

 Week 1 of the NFL season has come and gone, with a pair of early round rookies making their debuts for the Colts.

The Colts’ first two selections of the 2024 NFL Draft, wide receiver AD Mitchell and defensive end Laitu Latu, began their NFL careers on Sunday, as the Colts played host to the Texans in Indianapolis. While neither Mitchell nor Latu showed up much in the box score on Sunday, both rookies showed flashes of what make them part of the Colts’ future on both sides of the football. 

Let Draft Nation take you beyond the box score to analyze the pair’s NFL debuts:

AD Mitchell

Second round pick AD Mitchell’s debut with the Colts doesn’t initially appear overly impressive just based on the statistics. Mitchell caught just one pass on Sunday against the Texans for just two yards.

However, when looking beyond the box score, Mitchell managed to put together quite the performance. He was the second-most targeted receiver in the Colts’ loss to the Texans, with quarterback Anthony Richardson looking his way a total of five times with only Michael Pittman was targeted more in week 1.

Not only that, but Mitchell was also a couple of better throws away from potentially a multi-touchdown performance in his debut. In the second quarter, Mitchell worked himself open against Houston cornerback Derek Stingley on a first-and-10 play inside of Texans territory. There was no Texans defender within 10 feet of Mitchell, as Richardson’s throw landed harmlessly out of bounds, just outside the reach of Mitchell.

Later in the game, Mitchell ran an out-and-up route down the left sideline, getting behind the Texans defensive backs. However, once again Richardson was unable to connect with his rookie wideout. The pass landed just past the outstretched arms of Mitchell. 

It’s no guarantee that Mitchell would’ve scored on the play, however he did have a step or two on the defensive back nearest him.

“We’re obviously still working on the connection, but coach Shane’s going to dial it up like he always does and it’s up to the 11 on the field to always go out there and execute,” Mitchell said postgame. “The best is yet to come.”

According to Pro Football Focus, Mitchell had nine snaps on Sunday where it was possible for him to generate separation from his defender. Mitchell did so on eight of those possible plays, showcasing his ability to get open against NFL defenders.

The missed passes down field are going to happen, especially with an inexperienced, second-year quarterback in Richardson. The fact that Mitchell was able to consistently get open against a talented Houston secondary is a good sign of things to come for the rookie wideout and the Colts. 

Laitu Latu

Laitu Latu was the first the Colts’ first round pick back in April’s NFL Draft, Indianapolis selected him with the No. 15 overall pick back in the summer. During the Colts’ season opener versus the Texans, Latu failed to record any tackles or sacks and he recorded just one quarterback pressure against Houston. However, like Mitchell, Latu’s debut was filled with many promising signs.

Latu was on the field for a total of 20 pass rush snaps on Sunday. According to Pro Football Focus, the UCLA product won 20 percent of those pass rush snaps, finishing the week ranked 17th amongst the 134 eligible pass rushers in week 1. 

To put that into perspective, Latu’s 20 percent win rate on pass rush snaps on Sunday would’ve ranked seventh in the NFL in 2023 amongst the league’s edge rushers. All told, Latu played a total of 31 snaps, which was the third-most amongst the Colts’ defensive ends. He was utilized almost exclusively on obvious passing downs – at this stage in Latu’s young career, he’s much better rushing the passer than he is stopping the run.

Latu was instrumental in drawing a couple of false starts on Sunday as well, baiting Texans tackle Laremy Tunsil into a handful of pre-snap penalties.

It was an up-and-down performance for the Colts’ defensive line in the opener. The position group managed to create a fair bit of pressure – which Latu played a slight role in – although the Texans were able to run all over them.

If Indianapolis continues to struggle to stop the run, Latu may need to improve in that area if he wants to continue to earn consistent playing time. However, if Latu continues to win his pass rush snaps at the frequency in which he did on Sunday, he’ll likely see his snap count grow as the season wears on, with the production catching up eventually.