This hasn’t been a calendar yr to recollect for the Houston Texans. The membership struggled mightily in 2020, ending a distant third within the AFC South with a 4-12 file, and the group could not even money in on a excessive draft choice because of a earlier commerce with Miami. To make issues worse, star quarterback Deshaun Watson has requested for a commerce out of Houston, however off-the-field points surrounding the three-time Professional Bowler have sunk any kind of commerce worth, holding him in a Texans uniform for the second. Whereas these have been definitely the headlines over this abysmal stretch, they’ve additionally been a tad unfortunate in addition. 

The most recent instance of that comes exterior of the primary spherical of the 2021 draft the place the Texans simply missed out on deciding on Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond with the 67th general choose. In line with Mond’s father, Kevin, Houston was getting ready to taking the younger quarterback, however the Minnesota Vikings plucked him off the board one choose in entrance of them at No. 66. 

“[There was a] telephone name from his agent, textual content message, and the agent stated, ‘Hey, the Houston Texans are on the brink of choose [Kellen] at choose 67,'” Kevin Mond stated, by way of Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “So, we’re sitting on the sofa and [Kellen] will get the telephone name a few minutes later and it is a group. … Then, when he hung up the telephone, he goes, ‘I’ll the Vikings.’ The Texans had already instructed his agent they’re on the brink of take him at choose 67. The Vikings occurred to have the choose 66.”

With the dream of bringing Mond into the fold now lifeless, the Texans pivoted and chosen Stanford quarterback Davis Mills with the 67th general choose within the third spherical. Whereas Mond is among the extra intriguing younger quarterbacks on this class, he’ll want time to develop, which is one thing he might not have been given had he ended up in Houston given the uncertainty beneath heart. With Kirk Cousins embedded because the starter in Minnesota, Mond can have a better transition into the NFL, which his father believes he’ll be higher for each time his quantity is finally referred to as.

“I feel he is snug and he likes the choice,” Kevin Mond stated. “He is thrilled about being in Minnesota. … In Houston, he could be rushed into it. [He can] sit again and watch and be taught. However he is a quick learner.”