Experts believe the 2021 NFL Draft is loaded with talented quarterbacks.
Several are household names by virtue of their esteemed college careers, and the endless speculation of which team will select them.
Those include: Trevor Lawrence from Clemson, Zach Wilson of BYU, Justin Fields from Ohio State, and Trey Lance from North Dakota State.
Most mock drafts have these four going one after another as the top four picks of the draft.
Dropping down a little further but staying in the top 15 draft picks is Mac Jones from Alabama.
These five are certainly the biggest names in the 2021 quarterback class, but they are not the only ones.
Here are two quarterbacks that are flying below the radar compared to the five listed above.
Two of ESPN’s draft gurus, Mel Kiper and Daniel Jeremiah, agree that Stanford quarterback Davis Mills and Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond are both undervalued.
2 intriguing QB's outside the top 5 guys- Davis Mills (Stanford) & Kellen Mond (Texas A&M). Both guys have a lot to work with & showed improvement this past season. Mond made some huge throws against FL & Bama. Followed that up with SR Bowl MVP. Both could develop into starters.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) March 2, 2021
Davis Mills
Stanford QB Davis Mills has declared for the NFL Draft. He was 287/438 for 3,464 yards, 18 TD & 8 INT in his Stanford career. Mills ran for 86 yards & 3 TDs as well. pic.twitter.com/N6sEPndz6c
— CFB Blitz (@BlitzCfb) January 1, 2021
Mills is a 6’4″ 225 pound junior so he possesses the size of an NFL quarterback.
He is also considered to have a strong arm.
Pro Football Network lists potentials concerns for Mills as sometimes being erratic with his throws or being delayed in getting the ball out which causes his receivers to wait for it.
He has only played in 14 games in his college career over three seasons, a small sample size for draft scouts to review.
Mel Kiper believes Mills’ draft stock will vary depending on the team looking at him.
“Davis Mills — a guy like Mills is a player where I think even among NFL teams the evaluation on him is going to vary widely depending on what the team likes in a quarterback.”
Kellen Mond
Mond is a 6’3″ 217 pound senior from Texas A&M.
He played in 46 games over his collegiate career.
Mond threw for 9,661 yards and 71 touchdowns while only tossing 27 interceptions.
Kellen Mond is a rushing threat also; he rushed for 1,609 yards and 22 touchdowns in his four seasons.
I need Kellen Mond in the 2nd round! He is a Ron Rivera and Scott Turner QB and he can sit for a year. pic.twitter.com/0gkJp9vwnX
— Notorious Z (@DCzWall) March 26, 2021
Regarding Mond, Kiper said:
“After that first group, you see some backup types with the potential to become more in the right situation and if they progress developmentally. I kind of put [Kellen] Mond in that category.”
Mond has great arm strength and timing.
Pro Football Network explains that a downside to his game is that he has a tendency to stare down his receivers.
His eyes give away the play.
Both Mills and Mond have succeeded at the college level.
However, it is really difficult for NFL scouts to know who can successfully make the transition from the NCAA to the NFL.
Talented college players and Heisman Trophy winners have failed in the NFL; Johnny Manziel is one example of many.
Then, there are the late-round picks who come out of nowhere and succeed; Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth round.
Scouting and drafting preparation are even harder in a pandemic because there was no NFL Combine and limited spectators at games.
Scouts rely on film and Pro Days to gather information.
Tune into the 2021 NFL Draft to find out who gets selected and when; it starts on Thursday, April 29.
NEXT: Will Jon Gruden Be On The Hot Seat With A Poor 2021 Season?
