Heading into the 2021 NFL Draft the Minnesota Vikings have multiple holes that need to be addressed. In the months leading up to the draft KFAN.com will highlight a series of draft prospects that could be potential fits for the Vikings come late April.
The quarterback position has been one of the most widely debated topics in Minnesota since the arrival of Kirk Cousins in 2018. Despite three of the best years of quarterback play in recent memory the Vikings have received a lot of criticism for the amount of guaranteed money they gave to Cousins.
Regardless of opinions on the Vikings’ current quarterback, it’s fair to say that drafting one this year makes a lot of sense. Sean Mannion has claimed the backup role behind Cousins and is a free agent in 2021. Letting Mannion hit the market while trying to fill that role with a developmental prospect could potentially set the Vikings up for life beyond Cousins.
A name to keep an eye on that could be a day two selection is former Texas A&M Quarterback Kellen Mond.
Mond improved in every season for the Aggies before finishing his Senior season with a 63.3 completion percentage, 2,282 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and just three interceptions. On top of showing constant growth in an offense with limited weapons, Mond capped off his final season with a Senior Bowl MVP performance.
His stats aren’t going to be up there with the names like Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Zach Wilson, but the Vikings likely wouldn’t need to use day one draft capital on him either. Despite not likely being a first-round candidate, there are some analysts that are higher on Mond than most.
Mond has good arm strength, a quick release and shows flashes of great accuracy. He’s capable at escaping the pocket and extending plays but could use some work on his decision making at times.
This is one of the better throws that I’ve seen while watching film on any of the quarterbacks in this draft class. Mond has made some bad throws as well but throws like this should spark interest from scouting departments across the NFL.
There have been many quarterbacks to come out of the middle rounds that have found success at the next level. Russell Wilson was drafted in the third round while Cousins and Dak Prescott were both selected in the fourth round.
This isn’t saying that Mond is going to turn into a top-15 quarterback like the ones listed above, but it does show that quarterbacks with a lot of upside can be found on the second or third day of the draft.
A developmental quarterback should be a priority in the draft for the Vikings with the lack of depth at the position. Mond would not only fill that void but he would get the chance to develop behind Cousins for at least the first season of his career.
Stay tuned for more 2021 NFL Draft player profiles in the upcoming months on KFAN.com.