49ers QB Brock Purdy’s arm strength, deep passes prove doubters wrong

Anyone still talking about Brock Purdy's perceived lack of arm strength still is clinging to the pre-draft reports of a year-and-a-half ago. Either that . . . or they simply are not watching. There was a time when the 49ers believed there was a ceiling on what Purdy could achieve, too. Then, they saw him on the practice field for the first time. His size and arm strength were the biggest reasons cited for why Purdy lasted until the No. 262 pick in the draft after his standout four-year career at Iowa State. Coach Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers were pleasantly surprised with Purdy's arm strength when he first arrived in Santa Clara as a member of the team. "I think it's definitely stronger than what we thought it was when we drafted him," Shanahan said on Monday. "But we saw that the first day out at rookie minicamp." Many in the football world still have not caught on. After all, Purdy has been the most accurate and effective deep passer in the NFL this season, according to PFF. He has completed 22 of 33 (66.7 percent) attempts 20 or more yards down the field for 684 yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Justin Herbert generally are...