Since being selected as Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft, quarterback Brock Purdy has exceeded all expectations. After winning the San Francisco 49ers‘ starting job, he led the team to Super Bowl LVIII, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.
For those who aren’t familiar with Purdy, here’s everything to know about the Niners QB and his NFL journey.
How Tall Is Brock Purdy?
At the 2022 NFL Combine, Purdy measured in at 6’1″. This is slightly below average for a quarterback, as the average height at the position is 6’2 4/5″.
Purdy’s arm length was measured at 29″, and his hand size is 9′ 1/4″.
How Much Does Purdy Weigh?
Purdy weighed in at 212 pounds at the NFL Combine. Again, this is below average for an NFL quarterback, as the average weight at the position is 224.9 pounds. The fact that Purdy was viewed as undersized contributed to him slipping to the seventh round in the draft.
How Old Is Purdy?
Purdy was born on Dec. 27, 1999, in Queen Creek, Arizona, meaning he’s only 24 years old. Since he was relatively young when he was drafted by the Niners in 2022, Purdy is actually the same age as several quarterback prospects in this year’s rookie class, including Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.
What School Did Purdy Go To?
Purdy attended Perry High School in Arizona. In 2016 and 2017, he led his school to the 6A Division AIA State Championship game, but they lost both times to Chandler High School. As a senior, Purdy was named Gatorade’s Football Player of the Year. However, he was just a three-star recruit.
Purdy received offers from Iowa State, Boise State, Alabama, Kansas, North Arizona, UC Davis, UCF, and UNLV. He ultimately committed to Iowa State, where he played the entirety of his four-year collegiate career.
Revisiting Purdy’s College Career
As a freshman, Purdy started the season as the third-stringer, but an injury to the starting quarterback and struggles from the second-stringer led to him starting. (Sound familiar?) Purdy took advantage of his opportunity, throwing for 2,250 yards, 16 touchdowns, and seven interceptions across 10 games. He kept the starting job for the remainder of his college career.
Purdy put up his best statistical season as a sophomore, throwing for 3,982 yards, 27 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 13 games. Purdy was named Second-Team All-Big 12.
Brock Purdy at Iowa State was just fun to watch. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NZZJHR1F64
— College Football Alerts (@CFBAlerts_) June 6, 2024
While his numbers dipped during his junior year, he was still effective; he threw for 2,750 yards, 19 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Purdy earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors.
Then, as a senior, Purdy threw for 3,188 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while posting a career-best 71.7% completion percentage. Once again, Purdy was named First-Team All-Big 12.
Purdy Becomes ‘Mr. Irrelevant’
Purdy declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, and he was selected with the No. 262 overall pick in the seventh round — the last pick in the draft.
Each year, the final selection in the NFL Draft is given the playful nickname “Mr. Irrelevant,” and it usually leads to a decent amount of exposure and opportunities for the prospect.
In total, 45 players have been officially given the title of Mr. Irrelevant. Another 39 have the honor in an unofficial capacity.
Purdy is by far the most successful of the bunch, as he became the first Mr. Irrelevant to start a playoff game as a rookie. He has also become a Pro Bowler, and he led the 49ers to the Super Bowl, where they were within inches of winning it all in overtime.
Other notable Mr. Irrelevants include kicker Ryan Succop, who won a Super Bowl ring as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starting kicker, and linebacker Marty Moore, who was the first Mr. Irrelevant to play in a Super Bowl when his New England Patriots lost to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI.
Purdy’s Fantasy Outlook
Purdy has just one finish better than QB14 this season because he only has one game with multiple touchdown passes, but I don’t think the profile is much different than what we saw last year from him and, if this team can round into form, a return to fantasy viability is likely.
On this loaded roster, Purdy continues to rank among the very elite on a yards-per-attempt basis and with him pacing for 367 rushing yards, there’s a level of versatility that is easy to fall in love with.
Purdy has seen his completion percentage and average depth of throw increase in each of his three meetings with the Seahawks and while Seattle’s defensive numbers on the whole look good – are we sure they are even remotely close to the level their stats suggest?
They’ve played two legitimate NFL quarterbacks (Jared Goff and Daniel Jones) since looking good against the likes of Bo Nix, Jacoby Brissett, and Skylar Thompson. I think it’s safe to place Purdy in the Goff/Jones tier at the very least (I’d argue a tier higher) and those two had zero issues in picking apart Seattle’s secondary.
- Completion Percentage: 78.8%
- Passing Yards: 549
- Passing Touchdowns: 5
Those numbers don’t even include Goff’s touchdown reception. Counting on Purdy weekly has yet to pay off – stay patient.