Who Should I Start? Adonai Mitchell or Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Wednesday, June 3, 6:30 PM

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes that Adonai Mitchell and Geno Smith "feel like a wide receiver-quarterback pairing built to play together." Mitchell, who has the size at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds to win jump balls all over the field, could work well with the veteran Smith, who has the arm strength and confidence to test any area of the field. Mitchell and Smith's chemistry "appears to be growing" in the early days of the offseason program. The 23-year-old pass-catcher said that Smith is "a baller," and added, "He's a natural leader. He's the alpha of the room, that's the best way I could put it. He takes initiative, he communicates very well." After being acquired from the Indianapolis Colts in a midseason trade last year, Mitchell caught 24 of his 58 targets for 301 yards and two touchdowns in eight games with the Jets. The former second-rounder in 2024 out of the University of Texas made an immediate impact for Gang Green, despite terrible QB play. However, that also came with Garrett Wilson out of action due to a knee injury. Smith was one of the worst signal-callers in the league in 2025 with the Raiders, but if he takes a liking to Mitchell in the Big Apple this year, Mitchell has the athleticism, size, and speed to become a threat over a full season. Right now, he's ranked as RotoBaller's No. 76 fantasy wideout for 2026.