Rookie Brody Purdy has taken the NFL by storm since he became the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers in December.
The former Iowa State standout earned the title of «Mr. Irrelevant» after being selected by the 49ers with the final pick of the 2022 draft. But, a scouting report is shedding some light on the level of interest from a team in drafting the quarterback.
The Athletic obtained a scouting report that touched on Purdy’s positive attributes, as well as some of his potential drawbacks.
According to the report, a scout said Purdy was «very mature and experienced.» He was a four-year starter during his tenure in college football.
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But a trainer also pointed out his physical limitations. «He was an underperforming, limited athlete who has a maxed out body,» the report states, with weaknesses being acknowledged as «limited arm, both in strength and shooting repertoire.»
«I don’t remember him moving like that at Iowa State, and he didn’t do a good test. He jumped 27 inches, which is terrible. He ran 4.85 (4.84). He’s got short arms, very short, and he’s got small hands. He’s 6- 1, and his arm is fine. The twitching just wasn’t really there. His short shot was fine, 4.45, that’s not outstanding,» the coach said.
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The 49ers previously selected quarterback Trey Lance with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft. San Francisco seemed poised to hand over the franchise keys to Lance for the 2022 season and Purdy was not expected to contribute this year.
Several months after drafting Purdy, the Niners decided to restructure the contract of veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, which saw him accept a one-year restricted deal to serve as Lance’s backup. But Lance suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2, and Garoppolo then suffered a foot injury, suddenly thrusting Purdy into the starting role.
Purdy has yet to lose a game since he was named the starter. The next test for him takes place on Sunday for the NFC Championship against the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles. Purdy will be the fifth rookie quarterback to start a conference championship game.
The coach who evaluated Purdy said the 23-year-old’s ability to process defensive schemes has contributed to his success.
«He’s processing a lot of information before the snap because they do a lot of moves, changes, kills, calls on that offense. It can be hard to just snap the ball and figure out which way to deliver it. His composure late on the down, he hasn’t made a lot of stupid mistakes , he’s been really impressive,» said the coach, who believes Purdy would be considered a second- or third-round pick today.
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Purdy has thrown for 1,374 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions with a 67.1 percent completion percentage over the course of his nine-game NFL career.