The Texas A&M Football team only had a single player with first-round potential in the 2021 NFL Draft. That player is Kellen Mond. The former Aggie quarterback gave the Texas A&M football team three and a half great years before departing for the draft.
32 picks have come in and Mond’s name hasn’t been called.
It’s not surprising — Mond is an extremely talented player who wasn’t expected to be taken in the first round. But in an NFL Draft that had a handful of quarterbacks taken early, Mond had a chance of being selected earlier than originally anticipated.
Texas A&M Football’s Kellen Mond is near the top of most draft boards
The first round of this year’s draft saw five quarterbacks taken, leaving Mond as one of the top guys remaining. On ESPN’s board of best remaining players, he is ranked as the 3rd best quarterback remaining and the 37th best player remaining of any position in the 2021 NFL Draft.
This means that he’ll likely go early in the 3rd round of the draft, possibly sneaking into the second or dropping into the third.
In his four years in College Station, Mond put up 71 touchdowns and just 27 interceptions. He would add 9,661 passing yards and another 1,609 on the ground. That said, he is a pocket passer that is willing to run if forced to, an ideal build for the National Football League.
Most notably, Mond’s even-keeled playstyle could cause him to fall in the draft. He’s not the type of player who will explode into the MVP race, but he’s an extremely reliable option that any team would be happy to pick.
That said, I think there will be an NFL team that is smart enough to take the safe route soon. While Mond’s ceiling as a quarterback seems relatively low, teams know exactly what they’re getting out of him. That’s the primary selling point.
At this point, there’s no way to know exactly which team will pick him, but the Broncos, Steelers, and Panthers are still looking for a quarterback. Look toward these teams to pick him up on day two.
Wherever he lands, fans will learn to appreciate him as Aggie fans have for the past few years. He’ll bring a mature presence to whichever team he lands on despite being a young rookie in a competitive league.