COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Kellen Mond is heading to Minnesota.
The Vikings used their third round pick to take Texas A&M's all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns on Friday night. Mond was the 66th overall pick in the draft and the second pick of the third round. Mond is the 7th quarterback taken in this class.
Minnesota's current quarterback is Kirk Cousins.
Mond is the first Aggie product off the board, but he won't be the last.
Bobby Brown and Dan Moore are currently on Mel Kiper Jr.'s best available list and are projected to be taken somewhere in the next two rounds. After that, half a dozen Aggies could be taken on Day 3.
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Texas A&M record holder in nearly every passing and total offense category, quarterback Kellen Mond was selected by the Minnesota Vikings with the second pick in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft on Friday evening.
Mond’s selection extended Texas A&M's streak with at least one selection in the first 75 picks of the NFL Draft to 11 years.
Mond, from San Antonio, Texas, departed College Station as Texas A&M’s all-time total offense, passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions and attempts career leader. Following his senior, season Mond earned 2020 Reese’s Senior Bowl MVP in Mobile, Alabama after connecting on two touchdowns through the air and a pair of two-point conversions.
“The arrow keeps pointing up with him because he has a very live arm,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said. “You saw him get better each and every year culminating with that Senior Bowl MVP performance. The arm strength is not an issue as you see him push the ball vertically down the field. He has this quick twitch to him and he does not have a lot of space and is still able to get the ball out.”
Despite all of the challenges that the 2020 season presented, Mond led the Aggies to a historic year concluding with an eight-game win streak, including a thrilling victory over No. 13 North Carolina in the 87th annual Orange Bowl. A&M finished the 2020 season 9-1 and ranked No. 4 by both the AP and Coaches Poll.
Mond posted a program-best 3-0 mark in bowl games, leading the Aggies to wins at the Gator, Texas and Orange Bowl over his final three seasons in Aggieland. Regarded as one of the most consistent dual-threats in the country, Mond tied Johnny Manziel’s all-time program record of 93 touchdowns responsible for, good for 10th all-time in SEC history.
“He is an athletic quarterback and all of the tools are there,” ESPN’s Booger McFarland said. “He is a modern day NFL quarterback for where the league is trending.”
Following his senior season, Mond was named a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Witten Collegiate Man of the Year.
