The 2021 NFL draft is expected to feature five quarterbacks picked in the first round. Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Mac Jones are all expected to hear their names called early.
After the top five passers are off the board, who is the next best option for quarterback-needy teams?
Names such as Kellen Mond of Texas A&M, Kyle Trask of Florida and Davis Mills of Stanford come to mind, as does Jamie Newman of Georgia.
For a team like the Washington Football Team, which has its starter for 2021 but still no quarterback of the future beyond this season, these second-tier passers could be of particular interest on the second day of the draft.
Earlier this week, Todd McShay of ESPN released his latest mock draft and had Mond going to Washington at No. 51 overall.
On Monday, McShay was a guest on the CFB Podcast with Herbie, Pollack & Neghandi and discussed each quarterback. When the discussion turned to Mond, McShay said he was his sixth-ranked quarterback and liked his fit with Washington.
“Yeah, I think physically he has everything,” McShay said.
Consistency with his accuracy and decision-making is, again, improved, but it needs to advance. But if you’re talking about a second-round pick, after you’ve taken someone in the first round. And, Chicago, Washington’s another team that could want to develop a quarterback with Ryan Fitzpatrick there probably just for two, three years at the most. I think Mond would be the next best quarterback. I’ve got him as the sixth quarterback and the first one off the board on day two.
Mond certainly has plenty of attributes to be a successful quarterback at the next level. At 6-foot-3, 217 pounds, he has great size, is a good athlete, has a strong arm, and started all but three games during his four-year career in the SEC.
However, there are concerns. Mond is just a 59% passer over the course of his college career.
For a team like Washington, Mond could be a smart gamble in the second round with Fitzpatrick under center in 2021. Fitzpatrick, 38, just signed a one-year deal last month and there are no guarantees he’ll be in Washington beyond 2021.