3 passers the Steelers should take on day three of the NFL Draft

K.J. Costello

A capable catalyst with over 25 starts at Stanford, K.J. Costello moved as a graduate transfer to Mississippi State for his final college campaign.

With the help of intelligent offensive mind Mike Leach and his “air raid” design, Costello burst onto the scene with the Bulldogs. In the season opener, he dissected defending national champion LSU for a conference-record 623 yards and five scores.

The rest of the season didn’t go as well, though. Costello would only toss one more touchdown in his next five appearances. Not even a month after his remarkable performance in Baton Rouge, Costello was benched in the second half of his team’s matchup with Texas A&M.

Collectively, Costello’s 2018 sums at Stanford were some of the finest in the Pac-12. His 269 completions, 65.1% completion percentage, and 3,540 yards were topped only by Gardner Minshew. With 29 touchdowns, he tied Justin Herbert for the conference’s second-most passing scores.

A season after receiving All-Pac-12 honors, Costello was hampered by injuries. He would only play in five games before Davis Mills took over. He would then finish his studies and leave for Starkville.

Costello’s six-foot-five, 220-pound frame is what teams look for behind center. He has adequate arm strength and accuracy. If the Steelers could look past his dreadful 2020 showing, his pro-style experience could help him stick.