2021 NFL Draft: 5 Senior Bowl prospects climbing up SF 49ers radar
By Peter Panacy
Hopefully the SF 49ers paid a bit more attention to these five NFL Draft prospects at the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl.
In 2019, the SF 49ers had the luxury of coaching one of the two squads of senior prospects at that year’s Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. And one could make the argument that chance led directly to head coach Kyle Shanahan selecting former South Carolina wide receiver Deebo Samuel in Round 2 of that year’s NFL Draft.
Shanahan and the Niners didn’t get to coach in this year’s Senior Bowl. But that doesn’t mean they were completely oblivious to a number of the prospects they could target later this April.
A number of players stood out for all the right reasons. One of them, Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, looked good after having some initial challenges during the practices leading up to the game. Yet he wasn’t the best quarterback on the field during the game.
No, that honor went to the game’s MVP, Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond.
Not surprisingly, he kicks off the list of five players who should have raised San Francisco’s eyebrows a bit from the weekend.
No. 5: Quarterback Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
5. player. 873. . Quarterback. Aggies . Kellen Mond
Mond went 13-of-25 for 173 yards, two touchdowns against zero interceptions en route to his game MVP accolade.
On top of that, Pro Football Focus listed him as the highest-graded quarterback out of any participating on the day with a 91.1 overall mark.
With Jones not playing because of an ankle injury, Mond was able to show off his talents and made the most of his opportunities. While Mond had some issues with his accuracy during practices, and that was a notable problem during his collegiate career, those problems mostly disappeared during the game.
Mond is an intriguing prospect. He has the mobility, and there’s little questioning his arm strength. Now, the question will be whether or not Mond’s accuracy woes carry over at the NFL level.
What is known, however, is Mond likely increased his NFL Draft stock from a day-three prospect into a solid second- or third-round selection.
The SF 49ers could look to him then if they decide to pass up on someone like Jones in Round 1.