Cleveland Browns Training Camp 2023: QB Preview, Part 2

In Part 1 of our training camp preview on quarterbacks, we looked at Deshaun Watson and Joshua Dobbs. In Part 2, we shift our attention to Kellen Mond and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

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3. Kellen Mond - Backup QB

Height: 6-3 | Weight: 217 lbs | Age: 24
Experience: 3 years | College: Texas A&M

Kellen Mond was a third-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2021. He had limited work as a rookie, and in 2022, the team was disappointed with his lack of progress in year number two and opted to release him. In three preseason games, Mond was 29-of-51 (57%) for 303 yards, 2 TD, and 2 INT.

The thing that has to be remembered is that Mond was drafted under former Vikings GM Rick Spielman. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who came over from the Browns in 2022, didn’t have any allegiance to Mond. None of the Vikings’ backups impressed last year, forcing them to go out and get Nick Mullens — another former Brown — to be their backup.

As for Mond’s status with the Browns, it’s almost impossible for us to have a pulse on it. Fans didn’t get to see him in training camp last year, since he was a waiver claim at the start of the season. The team thought highly enough of him to stash him on the 53-man roster all season long, and didn’t risk him having to go to the practice squad. In fact, they actually waived Dobbs last year when Deshaun Watson returned from suspension, and kept Mond instead. Back in 2021, Chris Simms was pretty high on Mond’s ability, ranking him fourth in the class, ahead of Justin Fields and Trey Lance. It’s plays like these that did him in with Minnesota last year:

Final Roster Odds: 60%

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4. Dorian Thompson-Robinson - Rookie QB

Height: 6-1 | Weight: 191 lbs | Age: 23
Experience: Rookie | College: UCLA

The Browns drafted Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the fifth round of this year’s draft, making him the first quarterback selected by the team since they took Baker Mayfield. As Jared Mueller wrote in a scouting report on him prior to the draft, Thompson-Robinson “has the arm and mobility, as well as a lot of experience playing out of the shotgun, that fits the offense expected to be built around Watson.”

If you want to learn a lot more about Thompson-Robinson, then I encourage you to read this article that DBN’s Barry Shuck compiled on him following the draft. Things that stand out include him having started five years, his high completion percentage near 70%, and his athleticism. But even with all that experience, he has still been billed as a developmental quarterback to begin his NFL career. He’s trying to do the little things to catch the attention of the coaching staff, as Mueller heard during OTAs:

Prior to the NFL draft, especially at the NFL combine, I was told that Thompson-Robinson was a detailed oriented learner. I’m hearing that has carried over to the NFL level as Thompson-Robinson has made a strong impression on the coaching and training staff. While the focus from the outside looking in is on Watson, the rookie has been working on mimicking Watson’s preparation and work ethic.

I think Thompson-Robinson will be a fit for the practice squad for a few reasons. First, he was projected to be a 6th- or 7th-round prospect, so no team would be guaranteeing him a 53-man roster spot in the first place. Then, you have to consider that he is fourth in the pecking order at the position, which means he might not even see any action in the preseason games. With a lack of tape on him, I think that’ll be just want the Browns prefer — to keep developing him in-house, and see if he pans out as a contending backup quarterback in 2024.

Final Roster Odds: 20%