2021 NFL Draft: Buccaneers mock draft to repeat in the Super Bowl
By Rob Leeds
The next quarterback for the Buccaneers
Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M
Mond is falling squarely in the middle of the fourth and fifth rounds right now in most mock drafts, which likely means that he will go sometime in the third round on the actual night. That’s just how these things go.
The Buccaneers desperately need to start planning for a future without Tom Brady, and no one on the roster right now fits the bill as a future leader of this team. While Mond is unproven, he at least would give the Bucs a better option than either of the backups currently on the team.
Mond has a big arm, a decent bit of athleticism to move around outside of the pocket, and is starting to draw some favorable comparisons to Dak Prescott in his game. While there is undoubtedly some rust involved, the Buccaneers are the perfect team to take a chance on a prospect like this.
The Bucs wouldn’t need Mond to start for at least a full season, and a year or two to learn the offense behind Tom Brady would work wonders for this project quarterback.
Tampa Bay is one of the few teams that can take a chance on a developmental piece like Mond without fear of the immediate ramifications. The risk is minimal with approaching cap space and the ability to sign a free agent after Brady, but if he works out, the Bucs could add the perfect modern quarterback during a round of the draft where nothing is guaranteed.