QB Kellen Mond a fit, but Rams have more pressing needs in draft

The Los Angeles Rams gave up Jared Goff and a handful of picks in trading for franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford, making an effort to take advantage of what they believe is the team’s Super Bowl window.

So, it doesn’t make sense for them to draft a quarterback, right?

That would be conventional thinking when looking at L.A.’s roster and a dominant defense, particularly with developmental prospect John Wolford playing well toward the end of the season in the limited snaps he got before sustaining a neck injury in the playoffs.

“John brings an element of athleticism and the ability to activate him as a runner, which can change the math in your favor offensively with a lot of the ways that defenses try to defend you,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said. “We’re not going to be running too many zone reads with Matthew Stafford, I can promise you that.”

However, the Rams have not selected a quarterback in the draft during the McVay era. The last time Los Angeles selected a quarterback was Goff No. 1 overall in 2016, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Rams take a flyer on a quarterback they like at some point during the draft as a developmental prospect.

Kellen Mond makes some sense for the Rams as a Day 2 selection. A 3 ½ year starter for the Aggies, Mond caught the attention of draft evaluators during his week at the Senior Bowl in January with his accuracy and command of the offense.

Mond was named the MVP of the college All-Star game, finishing 13-for-25 for 175 passing yards and two scores in a losing effort for the American team.

Mond ran a 4.57-second, 40-yard time at his pro day and is a good athlete. Like Wolford, he fits the mold of a dual threat quarterback that can get on the edge of a defense in McVay’s offense and can also make throws on the run.

QBs currently on the roster

QB (4): Starter -- Matthew Stafford. Reserves -- John Wolford, Bryce Perkins, Devlin Hodges.

Quarterbacks to consider for the Rams

Round 2 (57)
Kellen Mond, 6-3, 211, Texas A&M
The skinny: Played in a pro-style offense under Jimbo Fisher for the Aggies and fits what McVay wants to do on offense for the Rams.

Round 3 (88)
Davis Mills, 6-3, 217, Stanford
The skinny: Mills has good size and overall throwing ability. He throws with anticipation, but only had 14 starts at Stanford and is a limited athlete outside of the pocket.

Round 3 (103)
Kyle Trask, 6-4, 230, Florida
The skinny: Trask was very productive in college, throwing for over 7,000 yards and 69 touchdowns at Florida. However, mobility is an issue and there will be questions about if he can perform at a high level with better athletes on the field defensively in the NFL.

Round 4 (141)
Jamie Newman, 6-4, 230, Georgia
The skinny: Newman’s opted out of his final college season at Georgia and comes from a similar offense as Wolford at Wake Forest, where he spent his first three seasons. His play was uneven at the Senior Bowl.

Round 6 (209)
Sam Ehlinger, 6-1, 220, Texas
The skinny: He competes, make plays with his feet and elevates the rest of the team in clutch situations. But he’ll have to become a more accurate thrower from inside the pocket to stick with an NFL team.

Round 7 (252)
Zac Thomas, 6-1, 210, Appalachian State
The skinny: He finished 32-6 as a starter operating as a dual-threat quarterback for the Mountaineers. Thomas had 11 interceptions his senior season, so that’s concerning. But he also ran for 1,301 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns during his college career. Thomas has playmaking ability.