When you think about the day quarterback Brock Purdy was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers - April 30, 2022 - that date may feel like it was several lifetimes ago. That's probably because since Purdy was selected with the final pick (No. 262 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft, the former 49ers third-string QB has led his team to two NFC Championships and a Super Bowl LVIII appearance. It's also important to note that in between his first two seasons in the NFL, Purdy also had the added challenge of rehabbing from a season-ending elbow surgery he suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles in early 2023. A lot more excitement has been sandwiched in between, but the point is, a lot of good things have happened with Purdy taking over as the 49ers starting quarterback.
So what was it that first caught the attention of San Francisco's scouting department? What did they see in the former four-year starter from Iowa State that made him the right fit for Kyle Shanahan's offensive scheme.
President of football operations and general manager John Lynch shared how the 49ers became interested in Purdy on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show. The team thought Purdy could potentially declare for the draft his junior year and had grades on him ahead of draft in 2021.
"I think the people you don't hear about, the unsung heroes, in these organizations - it's our scouts and coaches - I think there are two people that deserve so much credit for Brock Purdy," Lynch said. "One of them is now in our pro department. He is a guy by the name of Steve Slowik, his brother is Bobby Slowik, the offensive coordinator down there in Houston. Steve was the college scout that would go through Iowa State... Steve would always come through these draft meetings, in the fall meetings and speak so glowingly about Brock and the culture-changer he was, how Iowa State would not be where they are without Brock Purdy.
"The other guy (that was integral in the process) was Brian Griese. Brian was incredibly impressed once we said 'Hey, get on these zooms and start talking to Brock.' Griese came back extremely convinced."
Since being drafted, the former seventh-round pick has taken the league by storm over the last two seasons and solidified himself as San Francisco's QB1.
"He's been tremendous for our organization, and you really could see it right away," Lynch said. "I think he was fourth on our depth chart. There is a corny saying that people say about training camp, 'Don't count your reps. Make your reps count.'
"The one thing we saw about Brock, he would get like three or four reps a practice when we were first starting, but he didn't come in and just play it safe. He was ripping it in windows that were small and doing so with confidence. That's a hard thing to do because it's an easy way to get run right out of here when you're the last pick in the draft and trying to make these bold plays."
Purdy's bold plays earned him additional reps in training camp and injuries put him in charge of the offense in Week 13 of his rookie year. The rest is history.
In 2023, his first full season as a starter, Purdy ended the year at the top of many of the league's top statistical categories including passer rating (113.0) and passing yards per attempt (9.6), fourth in completion percentage (69.4) and fifth in passing yards (4,280). His 4,280 passing yards set a single-season record, surpassing the previous record held by quarterback Jeff Garcia. Purdy's production in 2023 earned him Pro Bowl honors and resulted in the second-year quarterback racking up the most votes of any player in the league.
