Latest NFL QB Trade Continues to Validate 49ers for Drafting Brock Purdy

The San Francisco 49ers selecting quarterback Brock Purdy with the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has already become one of the greatest thefts in NFL history.

The 49ers made Purdy “Mr. Irrelevant,” but through the first two years of his career, he’s been anything but that.

Purdy has gone 17-4 as a starter in the regular season and reached back-to-back NFC Championship Games. Last year, he led the 49ers all the way to the Super Bowl, where they lost in overtime to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Purdy has established himself as one of the premier signal-callers in the league. He’s coming off a 2023 season in which he threw for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, while rushing for another 144 yards and two touchdowns.

In six career playoff games, Purdy has thrown for 1,343 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception.

Purdy’s emergence has been crucial to the success of the 49ers over the last two seasons. It’s also come at a time when the rest of the quarterbacks in his draft class have struggled mightily.

Eight quarterbacks were selected ahead of Purdy in the 2022 draft. Six of them have already switched teams.

Kenny Pickett, the first quarterback selected in 2022 and the only first-round choice, spent two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before they shipped him to the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason.

Desmond Ridder, Malik Willis, and Matt Corral were all third-round selections in the draft. Ridder was sent to the Arizona Cardinals this offseason. Corral has bounced around the NFL, including a stint in the UFL. And on Monday, Willis was traded to the Green Bay Packers for a seventh-round pick.

Read more: Packers Acquire Malik Willis in Trade With Titans

Bailey Zappe (New England Patriots) and Skylar Thompson (Miami Dolphins) are the only quarterbacks drafted ahead of Purdy that remain with their original clubs. Sam Howell (fifth round) and Chris Oladokun (seventh round) are both with new teams.

The 49ers truly found a diamond in the rough in Purdy. At this point, though, they’ve appeared to find the only true starting quarterback in the entire draft.

Willis will look to learn behind Jordan Love on the Packers, while Pickett will get to learn behind Jalen Hurts on the Eagles and Ridder will learn from Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.

There’s plenty of time for any of these quarterbacks to develop into starting-caliber players — but for now, the 49ers are happy to have found their quarterback of the future who didn’t need any time to develop.

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