Kellen Mond Wins 2021 Senior Bowl MVP as National Team Tops American Team

The National Team came out on top 27-24 against the American Team in the 2021 Senior Bowl from Mobile, Alabama, on Saturday. 

The final score isn't nearly as important to how players looked on the field. This was the first major showcase game for this year's NFL draft prospects. 

Notable Game Stats

• Kellen Mond, QB (American): 13-of-25, 173 yards, 2 TD
• Feleipe Franks, QB (National): 9-of-16, 122 yards, TD
• Sam Ehlinger, QB (National): 4-of-10, 42 yards, TD
• Michael Carter, RB (National): 8 carries, 60 yards, TD
• Shi Smith, WR (American): 3 receptions, 57 yards
• Dez Fitzpatrick, WR (National): 6 receptions, 90 yards

One of those prospects who was expected to play in the game was unable to becasuse of an injury. ESPN's Field Yates reported prior to kickoff that Alabama quarterback Mac Jones tweaked his ankle in practice this week, but it's "nothing major at all."

Jones' absence opened the door for other, less-heralded quarterbacks to step up. Texas A&M star Kellen Mond ran with the opportunity by being named MVP after throwing for 173 yards. He threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter to put the American squad up 16-13 after the team was shut out in the first half. 

South Carolina wide receiver Shi Smith, who was playing for the American squad, has been turning heads all week in Mobile. 

"Nothing better than one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl and to me watching Shi Smith, receiver from South Carolina, in the one-on-ones, I thought he was outstanding," Daniel Jeremiah said on NFL Total Access after day one of practice on Tuesday (h/t Jaylon Thompson of 247Sports). "You saw the quickness, and you saw the ability to separate."

On the other side of the field, Texas' Sam Ehlinger led the National Team offense in the first half. He had a solid college career but never really improved after a breakout sophomore campaign in 2018 when he threw for 3,292 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in 14 games. 

Ehlinger connected with UCLA running back Demetric Felton in the first quarter for a 12-yard touchdown. 

While Ehlinger's ceiling is likely as a Day 3 draft pick, Felton's touchdown catch put a capper on a big week for the Bruins star. 

Jeremiah named Felton among his 10 biggest winners from Senior Bowl practice:

"Felton played running back last season for the Bruins, but he primarily lined up as a receiver at the Senior Bowl, although he did get a little bit of work at RB, too. He has some dynamic qualities. UCLA coach Chip Kelly told me Felton practiced at both running back and wide receiver throughout the 2020 season. That familiarity with each position showed in Mobile. He's an explosive player."

Felton recorded the fastest max speed of any wide receiver during the first day of practice this week:

Another winner from the week who had a highlight-reel moment Saturday was North Carolina running back Michael Carter. He put the National Team back on top in the third quarter with a 12-yard touchdown run that showed off his quick burst and power:

Jeremiah included Carter on his list of winners, calling him a potential second- or third-round draft pick who can play "a role similar to the one Nyheim Hines fills for the Colts."

Hines had a career-high 862 yards from scrimmage and seven total touchdowns on 89 carries and 63 receptions in 2020. Carter ran for over 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons and had at least 21 receptions in each of the past three seasons at North Carolina. 

Louisville wideout Dez Fitzpatrick led all players with six receptions and 90 yards. His best catch was a sideline grab in which he jumped over North Carolina Central defensive back Bryan Mills:

While offense is all the rage in the NFL these days, there were plenty of defensive players who got their moment to shine in front of scouts Saturday. 

Pittsburgh defensive end Patrick Jones II seemed to lose momentum this week in practice. Pro Football Focus (h/t ESPN) included him on a list of fallers because of his measurables and performance:

"But his experience in Mobile started poorly when he checked in with only 32-inch arms despite being 6-4, which is well below the desired length for an edge defender.

"It didn't get much better when he hit the field against the better tackles at the Senior Bowl and that production disappeared. He only won 11% percent of his reps on the week in the one-on-ones and looked out of his depth when asked to rush from the interior."

Jones, who was named to the All-ACC first team in 2020 and racked up 17.5 sacks over the past two seasons, showed off some of his pass-rushing skills with this sack of Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman in the second quarter:

Pitt cornerback Damar Hamlin picked off Newman, but the turnover was caused by tight coverage from Washington's Keith Taylor. 

Saturday capped off the first significant week of draft preparation for prospects and teams. There are a number of players who saw their stock improve significantly. Even the players who didn't have the performance they were hoping for don't need to get down on themselves. 

There's still a lot of time and evaluations to be conducted before the 2021 NFL draft begins on April 29. The NFL scouting combine has been adjusted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than hold a centralized event in Indianapolis in March, all on-field workouts will be held at school pro days.