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The second day of the NFL Draft is officially in the books. There were some exciting names that fell all the way to the third round this year. There are are always great picks in later rounds that go on to be All-Pros or even MVPs. This third round is no different. Here are three major steals from this year's third round.
Minnesota Vikings Select Kellen Mond (QB)
It can be easy to call any quarterback picked in the third round of the NFL Draft a steal, just in case they turn out well. However, Mond is the form of archetype that could really pay dividends. He has a starter's skillset and upside but fell due to a lack of clarity surrounding his immediate role. He has a good arm, solid mobility, and solid processing. He has some very inconsistent accuracy and footwork, but if those things can be tightened up, he could be a Dak Prescott-esque quarterback.
The Vikings are a perfect fit for Mond. Cousins can start for a year or two and let Mond develop and fix his fundamentals while learning from Cousins at QB. As Mond develops, there are still plenty of weapons on the Vikings' offense. The Vikings are a solid, winning ecosystem with a lot of talent and it is the perfect place for a QB like Mond to develop. This was a very good pick for Minny in the NFL Draft.
Carolina Panthers Select Brady Christensen (OT)
Brady Christensen is exactly what you would want from a third-round tackle. Good footwork, solid power, great technique, and developing his power behind the pads. He is not the highest upside tackle in the world, but he should have a consistent career and be a boost to any offensive line. The Panthers have needed an upgrade to the offensive line, as does basically every team in the NFL, and Christensen provides that in spades.
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The Panthers have always been a team that makes solid, smart picks and Christensen is no exception. They tend to not reach for boom or bust players and instead like to build on consistency and skill as baselines. Christensen will likely be an immediate starter and that is excellent thing to get in the third round, especially on the offensive line. This third-round pick in the NFL draft was worthy.
Las Vegas Raider Select Malcolm Koonce (EDGE)
Malcolm Koonce is the star edge from Buffalo University and he was an excellent upside bet in the third round. Koonce is an incredible athlete with long arms and developing technique. His top-end upside is that of an elite edge rusher and sack king and that is an incredible piece to get in the third round. He could develop into an eight or more sacks-a-season guy and that is a very rare thing to find this late in the NFL Draft. He will certainly require patience to get there, but he has all the tools.
The Raiders rarely take upside swings in the draft because they like to get their “Gruden Grinders,” but Koonce shifts that a bit. He will likely not have an immediate role on the team as he still needs to fill out a bit to excel at the edge spot in the NFL, but in a year or two, he could turn into an elite pass rusher. The Raiders have whiffed on past picks at the edge spot, including former top 10 pick Clelin Ferrell. Koonce could be the guy to remedy that long-term. The Raiders got a good one here in the NFL Draft.
