Kellen Mond's Tools Don't Impress AFC Exec: 'He's Like a Goddamn Robot'

Multiple NFL sources questioned whether Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond can translate his strong college performance into success at the pro level. 

An NFL coordinator told Tom Pelissero of NFL.com he compares Mond to former Buffalo Bills first-round pick EJ Manuel, who played for current Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher at Florida State.

"He's got that Jimbo thing about him," an AFC quarterbacks coach noted. "Jimbo teaches this very stiff elbows in the drop. He kind of looks robotic, and he really shouldn't be a robotic type of guy."

An AFC executive added: "Even though he's fast (4.61 40) and has a good arm, he's like a goddamn robot."

Mond put up big numbers in the Aggies' fast-paced attack. He completed 59 percent of his throws for 9,661 yards with 71 touchdowns and 27 interceptions in 46 appearances across four years. He added 1,609 rushing yards and 22 scores on the ground.

While he performed well within the A&M system, there are a lot of questions about whether he's got the tools to become a franchise quarterback in the NFL.

"The thing I get stuck on with him was, there wasn't anything I could say was outstanding about him physically," an NFC quarterbacks coach told Pelissero. "It's not elite arm strength, it's not consistent down-the-field accuracy. I thought he was going to be more athletic than he is on tape. He's a little stiff."

The contrast between his strong production and the scouts' uncertainty about his future make him a likely middle-round pick in the draft, which starts April 29.

In March, Mond told reporters he doesn't mind flying below the radar leading up to the event:

"I don't mind being underrated because at the end of the day, especially when you get to the league, you're always going to have to depend on yourself and also the people around you to succeed. With me, I've been through a lot of adversity. I think it's pretty true and telling on how a quarterback is able to change a whole entire culture, and I think that's something that is very slept on throughout the process. Multiple guys especially at bigger schools, a first-rounder leaves and then you're the next man up. You're just filling a role that was already there. But actually having to change a whole entire culture, I think that's what kind of makes me different.

"Before the season if somebody told you, Kellen Mond loses his No. 1 receiver from the year before and loses his three other receivers at the time, would he have his best season, go 9-1? I'm pretty sure 100 percent of people would have told you no. I don't mind being underrated because the chips are going to fall where they may. I try to be even-keeled and everything will happen at the best time for me."

Landing with a team where he won't be expected to compete for the starting job right away may be the best outcome. It'll give him time to work on ironing out his throwing motion and the robotic movements the scouts pointed out, which could help improve his completion percentage.

Mond isn't a lock to become a full-time starter in the NFL, but his raw tools are intriguing enough to make him a potential steal from outside the first round.