The Brock Purdy Effect: Why Teams Want Experienced QBs in the Draft

They can thank Purdy for their paychecks and opportunities.

Feb 5, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) during Super Bowl / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Every team wants the next Patrick Mahomes, but that guy doesn't exist, and if he did, he'd be tough to acquire.

So teams will settle for the next Brock Purdy. Now that they know what makes him successful, they think they can find more players who are like him. Players who would have gone undrafted 10 years ago now will get picked in Rounds 3 and 4.

They can thank Purdy for their paychecks and opportunities.

"As Brock Purdy’s star rose two seasons ago, I started asking around on the emergence of the ex-Iowa State quarterback," writes Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. "And one thing came up continually: How NFL teams value experience at the college level. Purdy, the 262nd and final pick of the 2022 NFL draft, started 46 games at Iowa State. The quarterback himself can tell you the benefit of that experience: Hundreds of reps over what a lot of college quarterbacks get. It’s seeing defensive coordinators for the second and third time as a collegian, giving them a better chance to gameplan against you. It’s the amount of rush packages, coverages and overall defensive looks you’ve had to play against. It's trying and failing. It’s trying and succeeding. And it’s constantly finding different answers. All of it has prepared Purdy, and the other 31 teams who’ve seen Purdy’s success properly value what's been the key to his success over the past two seasons. 'There are a lot of experienced guys this year,' says an NFC offensive coordinator about this year’s group of quarterback prospects."

This will be an interesting experiment. Will the success of Purdy teach the NFL how to better scout the most important position in sports? If so, what a legacy that would be for him.