brock purdy

NFL Team’s Two-Word Scouting Report on 49ers Rookie Brock Purdy is Going Viral

The NFL world is fascinated with 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, the rookie who came to San Francisco as the last player selected in the draft.

Purdy, the former Iowa State star, earned Mr. Irrelevant honors because he was picked at No. 262, the final name in the 2022 draft. Mr. Irrelevant has been in existence since 1976. According to its mission, it honors football’s “underdog.”

But now Brock Purdy will become only the fifth rookie quarterback to start a conference title game. With a win on the road against the Eagles, Purdy would be the first rookie QB to lead his team to the Super Bowl. Needless to say, he’s two wins away from becoming the first rookie starting QB to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. That’s some underdog story. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

On Thursday, The Athletic published a report detailing why Brock Purdy slipped to the end of the draft. He was the last of nine quarterbacks to get the call from a head coach. And one of the teams that didn’t select Purdy offered this final assessment. It’s no wonder it’s going viral.

The team report branded Purdy with “no interest.” As Julia Roberts said in Pretty Woman, “big mistake! Huge!” The Athletic circled back to the coach who wrote the scouting report on Brock Purdy and asked him if he’d like to reassess. He remained anonymous.

NFL Teams Couldn’t Get Past Brock Purdy’s Lack of Size, Speed

It should be noted why so many teams passed on Purdy. He lacks ideal size. If you’re a shade over 6 feet, you need to be really athletic to get a look from the pros. Yet Purdy didn’t show much speed or agility during the NFL combine. He ran a 4.85-second 40-yard dash and posted a 27-inch vertical. Scouts also love to pick apart prospects, especially quarterbacks. Purdy’s hands were too small, the scouts said. And his arms weren’t long enough.

Yet Brock Purdy started at Iowa State for four years. He helped revive the Cyclones. Scouts didn’t seem to care.

“There feels like there’s two or three of those guys every year, who’ve played a ton in college,” the scout told The Athletic. “They produced and know the playbook in and out but are just physically limited. They play so much and so you get a really good look at what they can’t do, where sometimes it helps guys that don’t play that much because their warts don’t show up as much.”

In other words, there was too much to see of Brock Purdy. The 49ers never intended for him to be the starting quarterback this season. But Trey Lance broke his ankle in week two. Then Jimmy Garoppolo injured his foot, giving way to Purdy. San Fran’s offense, with its terrific running game, receiver Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle, is perfect for a rookie quarterback.

Seven victories later, 49ers fans want to see more and more. His quarterback rating of 107.7 is an NFL best. The Eagles feature Jalen Hurts at QB. Like Purdy, Hurts is a Big 12 alum. The two last met in 2019, with the Sooners surviving the Cyclones 42-41.

We’ll know Sunday whether Purdy becomes that first rookie. But his success should make all teams think again about undersized, non-athletic quarterbacks who know how to win.