Chicago Bears NFL Draft 2021: 3 reasons to target Kellen Mond
By Ryan Heckman
2. Kellen Mond offers the Chicago Bears a smart, pocket-savvy quarterback
Bears fans have grown frustrated with seeing quarterbacks that cannot sense pressure. They have also grown frustrated with seeing quarterbacks who can sense pressure, but not escape it.
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In Mond, the Bears would get a quarterback who can sense pressure and move around in the pocket. He is very calculated with how he moves within the pocket, and knows when it’s time to escape. That said, he willingly stands in the pocket and delivers strikes regularly. Mond is not a guy who will look to run at any moment’s notice. He believes in his ability to throw the ball first and foremost, and he does it efficiently.
Mond doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. Over his four years, he’s never thrown double-digit interceptions and, last season in particular, was especially cautious with the football. In 2020, he threw 19 touchdowns as opposed to just three picks.
One thing we should not overlook here, also, is one of Mond’s biggest knocks being his deep throws. Although he still has work to do on throwing the long ball, and gets criticized for making many safer throws, Mond actually finished the 2020 season with the highest yards per attempt and air yards per attempt in his four-year career.
He did that while also completing a career-best 63.3 percent of his passes. So, he may get knocked for a couple of things related to throwing it deep, but he’s improved in that area and likely isn’t done improving either.
If fans are tired of seeing quarterbacks who can’t escape pressure, don’t know how to make it through all their progressions and look a bit frazzled in the pocket at times, then Mond would be a welcomed addition.