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Fans have been clamoring for the Minnesota Vikings to get a quarterback of the future. . .or, at the very least, a quarterback that is not Kirk Cousins. . .and with the first of their four third-round picks, they’ve done just that.
Kellen Mond
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Date of Birth: 22 June 1999 (21 years old)
College: Texas A&M University
Drafted: Round 3, #66 overall
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 215 pounds
Career accomplishments: Senior Bowl MVP (2021)
Twitter handle: @TheKellenMond
With the 66th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings have selected Kellen Mond, a quarterback from Texas A&M University.
Mond gives the Vikings a quarterback to develop behind Cousins for the next season or two. It does sound like he’s going to need that time as well, as he’s still a bit of a project and likely isn’t going to see the field for a while.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Mond as the #8 quarterback in this year’s class. Here’s what Brugler has to say about Mond:
Mond has impressive highlights with his ability to rip off beautiful throws downfield or extend plays with his legs. However, his lowlights are red flags, staying laser-locked on his targets and struggling to pick up pressures. Overall, Mond is in the Colin Kaepernick mold with his lean, angular frame, strong arm and long-striding athleticism, but his ball placement, timing and decision-making lack consistency. His natural tools will push him up several draft boards.
It’s going to be interesting to see how the Vikings work him into the offense, but I’ll say this. . .it’s a hell of a lot more exciting than having Sean Mannion holding the clipboard behind Kirk Cousins.
Welcome to Minnesota, Kellen Mond!