49ers NFL Draft 2022: Deep dive into ‘Mr. Irrelevant,’ Brock Purdy
By Chris Wilson
Why wasn’t Mr. Irrelevant drafted before the final pick?
Brock Purdy’s physical measurables are abnormal for any NFL prospect, and particularly one at the quarterback position, as reflected in the QB’s MockDraftable.com spider diagram:
Purdy’s height is below the NFL quarterback standard of 6-foot-2, but even more problematic is his arm length and wingspan are short for a player of his height. This combination of physical deficiencies puts Purdy in an unfortunate and very exclusive group of quarterbacks in the NFL.
He also ranks near the bottom of the league in weight, vertical jump and hand size, but at least his 40-time is close to average among NFL QBs, and similar to that of fellow mobile quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The one glaring outlier is Purdy’s elite 10-yard-split time, which is one of the best marks among all NFL quarterbacks. Purdy, who is allegedly quicker than the average pro cornerback, made good use of this talent in college by successfully avoiding free rushers and finding a way to slip out of seemingly impossible situations.
Kyle Shanahan was correct when he stated Purdy, “plays very well in the pocket,” but only when it is crystal clean. As a rhythm passer, the quarterback showed amazing touch and anticipation on intermediate routes, despite lacking the quick release of a quarterback built to target the short and middle third of the field, between the numbers. Like many young mobile quarterbacks, Purdy wants to exit the pocket at the first flash of a defensive jersey or potential sign of danger, which he is sure to experience regularly behind the 49ers’ porous offensive line.
As Shanahan strongly implied, the Niners drafted Purdy for his ability to execute between the tackles, where he generally demonstrated solid mechanics and was accurate as he often targeted his cadre of tight ends and H-backs.
He primarily played in shotgun or pistol formations, so taking snaps under center will be an area he will need to address over the offseason.