The Minnesota Vikings made a move towards the future Friday night, selecting Kellen Mond with the 66th overall pick in the NFL Draft.
The decision to draft a quarterback was surprising after Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman both gave Kirk Cousins a vote of confidence this offseason as the Vikings’ starter. However, with the addition of Mond, Cousins’ time in Minnesota could be linked with the end of his contract, which expires in 2023.
According to his former teammate, Robert Griffin III, drafting Mond might not sit well with Cousins.
“Kellen Mond represents exactly what he doesn’t do well. … Cousins has been collecting checks there in Minnesota for a long time.”@RGiii doesn't think Kirk will be happy with the pick 👀 @brgridiron
(@RocketMortgage) pic.twitter.com/IAyl97AFBl
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 1, 2021
“I can tell you right now No. 8 in Minnesota is probably not real happy right now,” Griffin said on B/R’s coverage of the draft. “[Mond] represents what he doesn’t do well…he’s a big physical quarterback. He can run and throw it all over the field and I don’t think that’s something [Cousins] is able to do. But I think that’s what the coaching staff and the administration is looking for.”
If there’s someone who knows about big quarterbacks who can run and throw and who are playing alongside Cousins, it’s Griffin. He was selected with the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft but was joined in Washington by Cousins, who was selected in the fourth round of the same draft.
After injuries derailed Griffin’s career, Washington turned to Cousins during the 2014 season before making him the full-time starter in 2015.
Since then Cousins has been a solid starting quarterback in the NFL including last season when he threw a career-high 35 touchdowns. But it’s been inconsistencies that have left him short of expectations.
“[Cousins] has been collecting checks in Minnesota for a long time taking them to 8-8 and 9-7 seasons,” Griffin said. “If he has a bad start to the year like he did last year, I could see the fans and maybe the organization leaning toward Mond if he comes in and impresses.”
For now, Cousins welcomed his new teammate, along with the Vikings’ other Day 2 picks, on Twitter Friday night.
Excited to get to work fellas. @wyattdavis53 @TheKellenMond @Chazz_Surratt12 @P_jones9
Welcome to the @Vikings #skol 😈
— Kirk Cousins (@KirkCousins8) May 1, 2021
