Where Would 49ers QB Brock Purdy be Taken in a 2022 NFL Re-Draft?
What made Brock Purdy such a fascinating player last season was because he was the "Mr. Irrelevant" final pick of the 2022 NFL draft.
He went from being a borderline undrafted free agent who was a third string backup, to becoming a starter for the 49ers who helped elevated the offense enroute to an NFC Championship appearance. It is partly why Purdy is hyped up. He played incredibly well and looked like an upgrade at quarterback when he took over for Jimmy Garoppolo. But really, it was his story that made it ever so sweet.
To emerge in such an underdog scenario is always easy for fans to root for. Purdy proved that he should not have been taken as the final pick of the draft. In hindsight, he should've been drafted significantly higher.
So, where would Purdy be taken in a 2022 NFL re-draft?
Well, our respective colleague Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated actually wrote about that. He believes Purdy would've been taken in the first round by the Panthers with the No. 6 pick.
“With the way Purdy performed and with Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold atop Carolina’s QB depth chart last season, the Panthers would gladly draft Purdy here—256 spots and six rounds earlier than the 49ers took him last year as the final pick in the draft. Purdy quickly took command of the 49ers’ offense, displaying accuracy (67.1%) and the ability to decipher defenses to put his playmakers in ideal spots during his eight starts last season. In the real world, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Bryce Young plays in a similar fashion during his rookie year in Carolina.”
There's a good case to be made here in terms of fit for Purdy with the Panthers. I would also add that former head coach Matt Rhule would've pulled the trigger as well to secure his job for the next two seasons. Head coaches can always secure more years to their job if they are tied to a rookie quarterback. Owners will typically want to give a head coach a bit of time to see it through with that quarterback.
But I disagree in the notion that Purdy is a top 10 draft pick. There is just no way. Look, I get it. As I stated earlier, Purdy stepped in and immediately looked better than Garoppolo. The offense was putting up more than 30 points per game with him. Throw in the addition of his story being "Mr. Irrelevant," and you have yourself a bit of an overhyped player.
Purdy didn't do anything special or spectacular aside from being an outlier seventh round rookie. He doesn't possess any coveted physical abilities. Now, he does have some mobility to his game and does great against pressure. But that isn't enough to make him a top 10 draft pick.
I think Purdy would be a second or third round pick if a 2022 NFL re-draft was conducted. Purdy looked great in an offense that is the most quarterback friendly in the league thanks to his offensive coordinator/head coach Kyle Shanahan and the vast array of talent around him. So, I'd pump the brakes on considering him such a phenomenal talent that he needs to be taken with the sixth overall pick.
