Going into the 2021 NFL Draft, many were wondering if the Minnesota Vikings would draft their quarterback of the future who could temporarily serve as the backup to current starter Kirk Cousins. As the draft progressed, fans found out that player would be Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond, who Minnesota selected with the 66th overall pick. Since then, we have found out there was another quarterback on the Vikings radar before Mond, that being Ohio State’s Justin Fields, who was ultimately selected by NFC North rival Chicago Bears with the 11th overall selection.
Last week, the Carolina Panthers released a video that featured the front office taking trade calls for the eighth overall pick in the draft, with Minnesota being one of the teams calling to try and trade up. There have been rumors since the conclusion of the draft that the Vikings were hoping to trade from the middle of the first round to the eighth pick to select Fields. Unfortunately for Minnesota, Carolina declined.
After failing to move up to draft Fields, the Vikings shifted to Plan B and ended up getting their quarterback in Mond at pick 66. And now Minnesota has a succession plan in place with the Texas A&M product for life after Cousins in the future.
Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Succession Plan in Place With Selection of Kellen Mond
Kirk Cousins
For the last few years, Minnesota hasn’t really had to deal with questions at quarterback as they had Cousins slotted into the starting role since he agreed to join the Vikings in free agency in 2018. Cousins has been solid, though some Vikings fans calling for a change under center. Cousins has appeared in 47 of the possible 48 games for Minnesota since joining the team. During that span, he has tallied 12,166 passing yards, 91 touchdowns, 29 interceptions, and has completed 69% of his pass attempts.
Cousins, however, isn’t getting any younger at 32 years old (he will turn 33 in August) and his contract is nearing an end, which means Minnesota needs to start thinking about the future while also living in the present. That’s where Kellen Mond comes in, as he enters the Vikings organization via the draft without any immediate expectations or starting duties, which will allow the young quarterback the opportunity to learn for at least a year before showcasing what he might be capable of as a starting quarterback.
Kellen Mond
During his college career at Texas A&M, Mond showcased his duel-threat capabilities as a four-year starter. In his four years with the Aggies, Mond appeared in 47 games and threw for 9,661 passing yards and 71 passing touchdowns, while also running for 1,608 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground. He averaged 239.8 total yards per game over those 47 contests, throwing 27 interceptions and threw just three picks during his senior season.
The most intriguing part about Mond is his ability to hurt opposing defenses with both his arm and his legs, something Minnesota hasn’t had in a quarterback for the last few years. Mond’s dual-threat ability could provide the Vikings offense with versatility they haven’t had recently.
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In Mond, the Vikings feel they have found their quarterback of the future, even though the Vikings initially had their eyes on another signal-caller, in Justin Fields. With Cousins set to take over the offense yet again in 2021 and Mond now in Minnesota, the Vikings are able to live in the present while also having a succession plan in place at quarterback.
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