SF 49ers NFL Draft: 5 day-three quarterbacks John Lynch should look at
By Peter Panacy
SF 49ers Target No. 2: K.J. Costello, Mississippi State
K.J. Costello. 2. player. 893. . Quarterback. Bulldogs
There’s a great chance transferring from Stanford to Mississippi State will work wonders for K.J. Costello’s draft stock, putting him up against elite-level SEC competition and allowing him to showcase his strong-arm abilities to hit virtually any area of the field in front of him.
He’s missed time this season with injuries, although it might only result in him being no later than a fifth-round pick. Workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine and team interviews will go a long way in determining that, although there are aspects the SF 49ers surely would be interested in.
| Passing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | AY/A | TD | Int | Rate |
| *2017 | Stanford | Pac-12 | SO | QB | 11 | 124 | 211 | 58.8 | 1573 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 14 | 4 | 139.5 |
| *2018 | Stanford | Pac-12 | JR | QB | 13 | 269 | 413 | 65.1 | 3540 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 29 | 11 | 155.0 |
| 2019 | Stanford | Pac-12 | SR | QB | 5 | 102 | 167 | 61.1 | 1038 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6 | 3 | 121.6 |
| 2020 | Mississippi State | SEC | SR | QB | 5 | 134 | 207 | 64.7 | 1283 | 6.2 | 4.6 | 6 | 10 | 116.7 |
| Career | Overall | 629 | 998 | 63.0 | 7434 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 55 | 28 | 138.2 | ||||
| Stanford | 495 | 791 | 62.6 | 6151 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 49 | 18 | 143.8 | |||||
| Mississippi State | 134 | 207 | 64.7 | 1283 | 6.2 | 4.6 | 6 | 10 | 116.7 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 12/8/2020.
At 6-foot-5 and 222 pounds, Costello also looks the part of an NFL-ready quarterback, and the zip on his throws is something the Niners haven’t had with Jimmy Garoppolo or Nick Mullens dating back to 2017.
If there is a problem area, Costello isn’t overly great at recognizing pressure and evading it. It’s almost as if he has to have a relatively clean pocket to succeed in, and the SF 49ers haven’t exactly been blessed with elite offensive line play in 2020.
Plus, there are some mechanical concerns that could potentially affect his accuracy at the pro level, too.
That said, Costello has the intangibles to become a high-quality backup with the upside of being a potential starter in a couple of years’ time.