49ers make Iowa State QB Brock Purdy a 7th-round draft pick as Mr. Irrelevant

The San Francisco 49ers selected Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy with the 41st pick (No. 262 overall) in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The 49ers were awarded this selection as a compensatory pick due to more offseason losses than additions in 2021. It was also the final selection of the 2022 NFL Draft, labeled Mr. Irrelevant.

Purdy completed 292-of-407 attempts (71.7 percent) for 3,188 yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions through 13 game appearances as a senior in 2021, per Sports Reference. He completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 12,170 yards with 81 touchdowns and 33 interceptions through his four collegiate seasons.

Purdy is from Gilbert, AZ. He earned a pre-draft grade of 5.57 from NFL.com, which equates to a "priority undrafted free agent," per the site's 8-point grading scale.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6' 0 5/8" and 212-pound Purdy had a 40-time of 4.84 seconds, a vertical jump of 27 inches, a 7.21-second three-cone drill time, and a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.45 seconds. His other measurables include an arm length of 29 inches and hands measuring 9 1/4 inches.

Purdy had a 7.26-second three-cone drill time and a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.52 seconds at his personal Pro Day.

NFL.com projected Purdy to be a priority free agent.

Below is the NFL.com draft profile bio on Purdy:

Purdy had several major programs recruiting him as the 2017 Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, setting state records with 4,405 passing yards and 57 passing touchdowns. He also came back from losing 20 pounds as a junior due to mono to lead his squad to the state semis. Purdy landed at ISU and got on the field in a hurry, starting eight of 10 contests in 2018, garnering honorable mention All-Big 12 accolades and ranking sixth in the FBS in pass efficiency (146-of-220, 66.4%, 2,250 yards, 16 TDs, seven INTs; 100-308-3.1, five TDs rushing). Purdy returned as the full-time starter in 2019, joining Justin Fields (Ohio State), Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) and Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) as the only FBS quarterbacks with at least 27 touchdown passes (312-475-65.7, 3,982 yards, 27 TDs, nine INTs) and eight scoring runs (93-249-2.7, eight TDs). The team captain set 18 school single-season records on his way to second-team All-Big 12 honors. Purdy got off to a slow start in 2020 but played well enough in his 12 starts to earn first-team all-conference recognition and help the Cyclones reach the Big 12 Championship Game (243-of-365, 66.6%, 2,750 yards, 19 TDs, nine INTs; 87-382-4.4, five TDs rushing). He was a second-team All-Big 12 selection in 2021, ranking fourth in the FBS by completing 71.7 percent of his passes (292-of-407, 3,188 yards, 19 TDs, eight INTs; 85-238-2.8, one TD rushing in 13 starts). Purdy set school career passing records with 81 passing touchdowns and 12,170 passing yards and earned second-team Academic All-American honors from sports information directors as well as Senior CLASS Award honors for excellence on and off the field. His brother, Chubba, is a quarterback at Florida State and his father, Shawn, played baseball at Miami (Fla.) before spending a few years in the minor leagues. -- by Chad Reuter

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote the following within his scouting report:

Four-year starter who was never able to improve upon a stellar sophomore campaign. Purdy is a burly pocket quarterback who needs a play-action based offense where he can rely on timing over release quickness and arm strength. He can be a confident passer when he finds his rhythm, but throwing is more of a chore than a talent thanks to a labored release. Certain areas of the field will be off limits as he moves up to take on NFL coverage talent. He's a scrappy runner but not dynamic enough to make up for his shortcomings as a passer.

The Draft Network wrote the following about Purdy within his scouting report:

Brock Purdy has put together a stellar NFL resume that started in 2018 when he was named the starter midway into his freshman season. Since 2018, Purdy has received several awards including Big 12 True Freshman of the Year (2018), Manning Award Semifinalist (2020), Davey O'Brien Award Semifinalist (2019, 2020), and First Team All-Big 12 (2020). Purdy excels at getting rid of the ball quickly to receivers that are in his first progression. Purdy is also athletic enough to keep the ball on a QB option play to pick up first downs. The area that Purdy struggles is in the deeper portion of the field, where his lack of true arm strength prevents him from consistently being able to get the ball to his receivers. In the NFL, Purdy is a prospect that will be best steved in an offense that doesn't have to push the ball vertically, but an offense that would rather the quarterback get the ball out of his hands quickly on short-to-intermediate routes.

Measurables

Height: 6' 0 5/8"
Weight: 212 lbs.
Arm length: 29 inches
Hand length: 9 1/4 inches

NFL Scouting Combine

40-time: 4.84 seconds
Vertical: 27 inches
3-cone drill: 7.21 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.45 seconds