Texas A&M NFL Draft Recap
Where did all the A&M players end up and how will they fare in the NFL?By: The Hammer
Dream come true via @TheKellenMond on Twitter
Unless you live under a rock, you know the NFL Draft recently took place. The first round kicked off on Thursday, April 29th and it continued over the next couple of days. The NFL marketing machine marched on as the first round drew roughly 12.5 million viewers. No Aggies went in this first round this year, although that will change next year if everything breaks right. In fact, CBS analyst Ryan Wilson’s way too early 2022 mock draft has four Aggies being taken in the first round - Isaiah Spiller, Kenyon Green, Jalen Wydermyer and Demarvin Leal. Sounds great, but we’ll have to wait until next year to see if that prediction pans out.
I think it is extremely impressive that A&M was able to go 9-1 and finish #4 in the country without having any players selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft. It speaks to the young talent on the roster as well as the stellar job the coaching staff has done putting together winning gameplans without elite, NFL ready players. Again, that trend will change as I think the Aggies will have plenty of first round picks in the coming years but this just adds to how impressive last season really was.
Enough banter though - let’s get down to where each player ended up and how we see it panning out. No surprise but the first Aggie taken was Kellen Mond at pick number 66 to the Minnesota Vikings. #SKOL. I think this is a great fit for Kellen honestly. He will not have the pressure or expectations of being a starter right away. Kirk Cousins is a proven pro and has a few years left on his deal, allowing Kellen to learn behind him and get acquainted to the NFL before being thrown into the fire. Kellen has the potential to be a great pro and potentially starting quarterback in the NFL, if he can stay consistent. I think he will get his shot to start in a couple of years and even if that doesn’t pan out, he should have a long career as a backup. He is too smart and too talented to phase out in my opinion, even if he is never a high level starter. Great pick for the Vikings.
The next Aggie off the board was Bobby “the Bear” Brown at pick 117 to the LA Rams. I think this is an excellent pick by the Rams and a good fit for Bobby. Although there may be some culture shock for Brown moving to LA, the team can use him. Brown is incredibly talented and has the potential to be a long time pro, making him a steal in the 4th round if he reaches his ceiling. The biggest knock on Brown while at A&M and throughout the draft process was his motor. He was criticized for not giving it his all each play and taking plays off. I think that issue was drastically reduced in 2020, but the stigma remained allowing him to fall to the 4th round. But who better to help out a young player learn how to make it in the NFL and give it your all than Aaron Donald? Donald is a beast and will be able to help Brown get his footing in the NFL. I think Brown has a good NFL career and wouldn’t be surprised to see him find his way to a Pro Bowl or two, but maybe I’m biased.
Following Brown were two guys who landed in the Steel City. Dan Moore at pick 128 and Buddy Johnson at pick 140 were both selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers, which is a great franchise for any rookie to land with. A beacon of consistency and culture in the NFL, the Steelers have a storied history of success and I think Moore and Johnson will both fit in nicely. Moore started three years at A&M, cutting his teeth in the best league in college football going up against elite level pash rushers. He struggled early in his career at times, but kept at it and was a key piece of one of the best offensive lines in the country last fall. There is no doubt his toughness and work ethic will fit right in with the Steelers.
Same goes for Buddy Johnson, who played sparingly in his first two years in College Station, but earned his way onto the field for his junior and senior seasons and was the unquestioned leader of the top rated defense in the SEC. Johnson will work his tail off in Pittsburgh and wont shy away from competition. I could see Johnson being a multiyear starter in Pittsburgh.
Those were the only four Aggies drafted, but a handful were able to sign free agent contracts after going undrafted. Ryan McCollum and Carson Green were signed by the Houston Texans, Jared Hocker signed with Seattle, Jahmon Ausbon signed with Philadelphia and Anthony Hines landed with the Cowboys. Any player going the undrafted free agent path has a big uphill battle ahead of them. It’s damn hard to make the final 53 man roster for any NFL team, and when a team has very little invested in you as is the case with undrafted free agents, it’s easy to be cut. Just watch a season of HBO's Hard Knocks and see how difficult it is for the undrafted guys.
Of the group above, I think the offensive lineman have the best chance to make a roster. It's simple numbers really - there are a lot less guys their size walking the earth so if a team has some injury issues on the line, those guys could slide in and make a roster or get a call mid season if they are cut initially. Hines and Ausbon, who both opted out of the 2020 season, have a much bigger hill to climb in my mind. Ausbon did not test well at the A&M pro day and I’m not sure what the league’s appetite is for a 6’2” 225 lb receiver who runs a 4.7second 40 yard dash. Hope he makes it, but I would be very surprised to see him on an NFL roster this fall. Hines tested a little better but certainly would have benefitted, like Buddy Johnson did, with another year of film on his resume. Especially considering how good A&M’s defense was last year.
Hines biggest hurdle may not be his talent, but rather a suddenly crowded linebacker room in Dallas. The Cowboys just drafted Micah Parsons and Jabril Cox at linebacker, and they signed safety Keanu Neal who coach Mike McCarthy stated would “start out at linebacker.” Add those players into the mix with Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch and you can see why it will be extremely difficult for Hines to find a spot. There’s a chance Hines sticks around on the practice squad or is picked up by another team, but I don’t see him making the Cowboys roster unfortunately, barring an injury from one of the names I just mentioned.
That’s a wrap for the Aggies in the 2021 NFL Draft and subsequent undrafted free agent frenzy. As always, we wish these young men the best of luck and will be cheering them on as they work to continue their football careers. I hope they all find success on or off the field and want to thank them for donning the Maroon and White over the last few years.
#BTHONFL
