Getty Kellen Mond #11 of the Texas A&M Aggies reacts after a touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
NFL analyst and former host of the Atlanta Falcons’ “Bird Noise” podcast, Matt Tabeek, may no longer be on staff with the Falcons media team, but that won’t stop him from giving his hot takes on what the Falcons should do in the draft.
Whether or not the Falcons are drafting a quarterback first remains unknown, but Tabeek doesn’t think Texas A&M signal-caller, Kellen Mond, should go under the radar.
I think #Falcons fans should start taking a closer look at Kellen Mond.
No, Mond isn’t expected to be a first-round pick, let alone a top 5, but don’t panic––Tabeek was actually talking about the Falcons drafting him in the second round.
Tabeek cites CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, who in his recent article on the Aggies’ signal-caller said, “Should Mond actually go in the second, teams with long-term QB questions like the Falcons (No. 35), Panthers (No. 39) … could be potential landing spots.”
Relax … I’m talking about Day 2 if they trade down and don’t take a QB in the first round.
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10 NFL Teams Have Already Been in Contact with Mond
There are five quarterbacks expected to go on the first day of the draft, Trevor Lawrence at No. 1 overall, then in no order; Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, Justin Fields, and Trey Lance.
But that doesn’t mean teams won’t be looking for their future franchise QB on Day 2. According to Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher, between 10 and 15 NFL teams have already reached out about the Aggies product, Fisher told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. That means an early round-two pick could have his name on it.
However, if it were up to Fisher, he’d go in the first round.
“He does all of the things you need to judge a first-round player,” Fisher added. “He helped change the culture (at Texas A&M) — winning more games, taking a stand, showing he’s a guy who can fight through adversity, took criticism, eliminated any distractions and continued to get better.”
This past season, Mond completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,282 yards, 19 touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also added four rushing touchdowns. His standout performances came against Alabama and an upset over the Florida Gators.
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Falcons Would Likely Mover Out of No. 4 if Mond Was Their Guy
If the Falcons decide to pass on Justin Fields, Mac Jones, or Trey Lance at No. 4 overall, if would only make sense for them to trade out of that spot. That way, they could still draft one of the first-round elite players and acquire some much-needed draft capital as well.
It’s no secret Matt Ryan will be the Falcons’ start for at least two more seasons, so it doesn’t really make sense to grab one at No. 4 and have him sit for two years instead of one.
The good thing is about taking a second-round QB is that the Falcons pick at No. 35 overall, which is the third pick on the second day and a perfect chance at Mond.
Some trade partners the Falcons could work with are the Vikings, Broncos, Patriots, Steelers, Bears, and Washington Football Team.
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