What makes 49ers' Brock Purdy so special?
There's no arguing the 49ers struck gold with Brock Purdy in the 2022 NFL draft. So much so that his emergence may change the way scouts assess quarterbacks in the future. After all, Purdy is inarguably the most significant "Mr. Irrelevant" since the great Tom Brady in 2002.
Elements of his game even suggest that he can overcome the crushing injury that took him out of the NFC Championship game. The fact is, anybody who has seen Purdy play knows he's special and his teammates have mirrored that sentiment.
But what exactly makes him so special? More incredibly, what did every team so grossly overlook that resulted in him being selected dead last? Here are my observations of what makes Brock Purdy so special and what scouts would do well to not overlook in upcoming drafts.
Brock Purdy masterfully reads defenses
Defensive reads are what separates mediocre and below-average quarterbacks from the greats. Astonishingly, in a league that continually overvalues big arms and big frames, nobody considered the importance of reading coverage. Brock Purdy does so with utter ease, scanning defenses to pinpoint the soft spots where his receivers will be. Take this play for instance:
1st Career playoff TD for #49ers QB BROCK PURDY. Look at him make the reads and then find a wide open CMC. https://t.co/VS2LuuxdO9
"Look at him make the reads"-@49ersSportsTalk
Purdy scans the coverage, realizing there's nothing on the left side. Instead of forcing the throw, he pumps fakes and evades pressure with immediate awareness of his late-option McCaffrey wide-open to his right. This is a combination of rapid progression cycling and masterful reads.
The result is a TD under pressure that Purdy makes look very easy. These defensive reads are precisely why no.13 has yet to throw an interception as a starter in his NFL career.
Complete pocket pressure awareness
The most remarkable aspect of Purdy's game is his pressure awareness and calmness in the pocket. More impressively, he's one of the few quarterbacks who can seamlessly assess this pressure while maintaining his eyes downfield. Don't take my word for it, take it straight from Mr. Irrelevant himself.
"I don't drop back and look at the defensive line. I don't have time for that. You have to keep your eyes downfield.", Purdy said in a quote cited by NBC Sports.
Keeping your eyes downfield is a common cliche uttered by QBs and coaches. However, it's only a cliche because very few quarterbacks can maintain complete pressure awareness without breaking their downfield gaze. You either have the ability or you don't. A look at the film reveals the 49ers' rookie sensation exhibits this ability in every snap with inherent ease.
Artistic evasivenes
I say artistic because Purdy doesn't escape pressure simply for the sake of escaping. His purposeful evasiveness frequently puts out-of-position offensive linemen back in position to make a block, thus buying him more time to make a play. Here's an example of what I mean:
This is incredible to watch. 3rd-and-7, Brock Purdy evades pressure multiple times, scrambles to keep the play alive and finds a wide-open George Kittle to keep the drive going.
Not sure I've seen any Shanahan quarterback consistently extend plays with their legs like this.. https://t.co/H8ZsLBn3lx
"Not sure I've seen any Shanahan quarterbacks consistently extend plays with their legs"- @akashanav
Number-64 in red is beaten clean on this play. Brock immediately sensed this, taking the open field offered to him, thus eliminating the charging DL from the play in the process. Putting an out-of-position offensive lineman back in position to make a block is world-class evasiveness you can't teach. It's also why it's even more unfortunate that one of the few moments Purdy failed to escape pressure resulted in a torn UCL.
On-the-fly improvisation skills
Another unteachable trait Brock Purdy displays in nearly all of his highlights is his impressive ability to think off the grid. Most QBs are less effective when the design play breaks down. However, where others falter, Purdy's effectiveness only seems to peak when the play seemingly crumbles. It's just another exemplification of his poise and instinctive ability that you either have or you don't.
No arm, no problem for 49ers' "Mr. Irrelevant"
One of the primary reasons Brock Purdy was so overlooked in the draft was his lack of arm strength. However, reading defenses, evading pressure, and thinking off the grid as naturally as he does makes his arm strength more insignificant than his draft placement.
That's also why he can return successfully from a UCL tear, perhaps even better than before. For a player that never had the strongest arm to begin with, this injury isn't as significant as it would be for other 'big-arm' QBs. Consequently, I expect Brock Purdy to rise from the ashes of improbability yet again en route to QB1 in 2023.