San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy can cement his legacy with the franchise that drafted him if he can lead his team to a win in Super Bowl LVIII. But there’s an alternate reality where the Niners never even drafted him at all.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan talked openly with NBC Sports’ Peter King last week about the moments leading up to selecting Purdy in 2022. The Iowa State alum famously went last in the draft, earning him the oft-spouted title of “Mr. Irrelevant.”
San Francisco’s final pick was one of nine Compensatory Picks awarded to teams who lose players in free agency. The 262nd and final pick was given to the 49ers as compensation for losing former Niners backup QB CJ Beathard, who signed a 2-year, $5 million deal to leave San Francisco for Jacksonville in 2021.
San Francisco 49ers Coach Kyle Shanahan Talks Openly About Moments Leading Up To Brock Purdy Selection
The aforementioned pick was coming up for the San Francisco 49ers’ war room on the third and final day of the 2022 NFL Draft. Shanahan told King that the team was very high on Purdy, but just couldn’t justify using a pick on a QB. They already had veteran Jimmy Garoppolo and prospect Trey Lance, who they traded a significant haul for the previous year, in their QB room.
“The pick’s coming up and I remember [club co-chair Dr. John York] asking, ‘Who’s the best player out there?’ I go, ‘Well, there’s no doubt Purdy’s the best player.’ He goes, ‘Then what are we talking about?’ I was like, ‘Well, there’s other spots. Also, we might be able to get him as a free agent for $10,000 after the draft.’ Dr. York can’t believe it. He’s looking at me like, I don’t get why there’s discussion if you guys think he’s the best player.”
Shanahan initially leaned towards passing on Purdy and then just going after him as an undrafted free agent. But after weighing things further, they determined that Purdy was just “too good” to pass up.
“Then it gets closer. I’m also getting the feeling we’re not getting Purdy as a free agent because there are so many other teams who are going to try to sign him. He wasn’t coming to us. He’s told me since then he was signing somewhere else. I said in the room, ‘Let’s not risk it. This guy’s too good.’”
San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy Vastly Outperformed His Draft Slot
Purdy wasn’t just “too good” as a seventh-rounder. He ended up being good enough that the team bit the bullet on the sunk cost attached to Trey Lance, shipping him to the Dallas Cowboys for significantly less than what they gave up to acquire the No. 3 overall pick.
Shanahan revealed that the 49ers had Purdy ranked as high as a 4th-round prospect. But even he probably never would have expected him to become a Pro Bowl QB who would start in back-to-back NFC title games — and soon a Super Bowl.
You can King’s complete interview with Shanahan found here.