2021 NFL Draft: K.J. Costello in a strong situation to improve draft stock
Mississippi State quarterback K.J. Costello is in a great position to improve his 2021 NFL Draft stock next season.
After starting for two and a half seasons at Stanford, K.J. Costello will be taking snaps at quarterback for Mississippi State during the 2020 season. As a grad transfer, Costello only has one year of eligibility for the Bulldogs, but he has put himself in a great position when it comes to his 2021 NFL Draft stock.
Costello will now be playing quarterback in the Mike Leach offense, which is arguably the most quarterback-friendly system in all of college football. Leach’s wide-open Air Raid system puts the quarterback in a great situation to put up big numbers, as we have seen with Gardner Minshew and Anthony Gordon the last two seasons.
Through his three seasons at Stanford, Costello completed 62.6% of his passes for 6,151, 49 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He has great size at the quarterback position and showed impressive pocket awareness and a big arm at Stanford. Costello enters Mississippi State as an established college quarterback who undoubtedly has the talent to lead the team to success.
However, he is far from a perfect player. Costello is extremely loose with the ball, forcing passes into tight coverage far too often. He also has sloppy footwork and mechanics which leads to inconsistent accuracy and has a painfully slow release that will need to be fixed at the next level.
Costello undoubtedly has some exciting talent, but the flaws in his game are obvious as well. That being said, he is set up for major success in the Mississippi State offense.
Costello will be operating with much more space and easier decisions than ever before. Leach does a fantastic job of scheming open receivers, which will immediately make Costello’s life much easier. He is strong and aware in the pocket and can make any throw on the field. In such a quarterback-friendly offense, Costello will likely put up massive numbers.
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No matter how well he performs in 2020, there will likely be a ceiling on Costello’s 2021 NFL Draft stock. That being said, he is a naturally gifted player who undoubtedly has some nice upside at the next level. Costello is set up for immediate success and NFL teams will take notice if he comes out and makes the most of his situation.