NFL Rookie quarterbacks who could unexpectedly start in 2021

Kellen Mond, Vikings

Starting with projecting Mond’s potential as a starter, one needs to look at the existing Vikings quarterback room. Incumbent starter, Kirk Cousins, signed a two-year contract extension last year that would put him under contract until the end of the 2022 season. It is unlikely they will move on from him before the end of 2022 because the salary is fully guaranteed. After that, it is a different story. Cousins will be 35 at the beginning of the 2023 season. If the Vikings elected to re-sign him again, it will not be cheap as they will have to pay $45 million for Cousins in the 2022 season. Moving on from a potentially expensive aging quarterback in 2023 is a possibility for the Vikings.

The current quarterback depth on the Vikings is barren with just Nate Stanley and Jake Browning on the roster aside from Cousins and Mond. The Vikings could elect to pick a quarterback early in the draft over the next two years, but they have not had a record worse than 7-9 since 2013, and their roster is currently good enough to win a fair number of games, so it is likely they would have to spend premium resources to trade up for a top-flight quarterback or settle to take a quarterback from the 2nd tier.

Furthermore, even though he is not a finished product, Kellen Mond has some physical tools that can be developed. It is unlikely that Mond will be handed the starting job in 2023 without any added competition, but two years sitting behind Cousins could help out the kinks in his game such as his decision making and processing. Given the valuable draft pick the Vikings spent on him, I think it is safe to say that Kellen Mond will be a part of any post-Kirk Cousins quarterback discussion.