The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will square off in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday night, with the winner crowned world champion. Headlining the game for the Kansas City Chiefs are two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, and defensive star Chris Jones, all former top-round selections.
Meanwhile, San Francisco houses some elite talent in tight end George Kittle, edge-rusher Nick Bosa, and the star receiver duo of Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. All but Kittle heard their names called in the first or second round of the NFL. However, two of Sunday’s most prominent offensive cheese pieces, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, were late seventh-round picks, or what many would consider afterthoughts for most teams. Each was 2022 day three selections, with Pacheco going with pick 251 and Purdy with the final selection at pick 262. The duo has gone from late-round dart throws to potential Super Bowl LVIII MVP.
The 7th round of the 2022 NFL Draft made a big difference for both team's in today's Super Bowl:
– Chiefs: Pick No. 251
– 49ers: Pick No. 262 pic.twitter.com/Pm9pP43DQt— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 11, 2024
Kansas City Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco: Last Rusher Taken in 2022 NFL Draft
The 2022 NFL draft featured 22 running backs, with the last selection of the group coming in the form of Rutgers’ Isiah Pacheco. Kansas City selected him with their second-to-last pick, placing him alongside 2020 first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire and veteran Jerick McKinnon. Pacheco played a reserve role for the first eight games before an injury to Edwards-Helaire forced him into the starting role.
Kansas City rode Pacheco over McKinnon, giving him 16 carries for 82 yards in a 27-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pacheco and the Chiefs never turned back, with the former seventh-round pick rushing for 551 yards and four scores on 5.1 yards per attempt over his next eight games. The Rutgers product carried his success into the postseason, tallying 37 attempts for 197 yards and a score while helping KC win the Super Bowl.
Pacheco entered this season as the full-time starter, and despite his seventh-round draft stock, he has made good on the Chiefs’ decision to roll with the young back. He collected 935 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games while averaging 84.7 rushing yards in three playoff games. A 2022 seventh-round draft pick and the last running back in his class, Pacheco can again win the Super Bowl this season, his second in as many years.
San Francisco 49ers Brock Purdy: Mr. Irrelevant
The San Francisco 49ers will return to the Super Bowl on Sunday, their third trip since 2012. However, they failed to win each of the first two times, with quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Jimmy Garoppolo failing to hoist the Lombardi. This season, it will be Brock Purdy’s turn to try to win it all for San Francisco, albeit his origins differ much from his predecessors. Unlike Kaepernick and Garoppolo, Purdy entered the NFL with little to no hype, evident by being the final pick of the 2022 NFL draft. Eight quarterbacks went before Purdy, including Malik Willis to the Tennessee Titans and Desmond Ridder to the Atlanta Falcons. Still, Purdy will play in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Purdy’s NFL origin story starts as Mr. Irrelevant, but it takes off late in his rookie season. With Garoppolo and starter Trey Lance on the mend, San Francisco turned to their third-string, seventh-round rookie quarterback. He threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns with no picks in his first career NFL start. The Iowa State product, who also took his college team to new heights, kept winning at the pro level, going 5-0 as a starter to finish the season while throwing 13 touchdowns to four picks. He entered the postseason on fire, but an injury in the NFC Championship ended both his season and his teams.
Purdy: Eying Super Bowl LVIII Victory
Despite lacking true draft pedigree, San Francisco stuck with Brock Purdy in 2023, a move that continues to pay dividends. He started 16 games this season, throwing for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns against 11 picks. The Arizona native led the league in quarterback rating, yards per completion, and yards per attempt. He is one win away from doing what many before him couldn’t: winning the Super Bowl. A seventh-round draft pick, Purdy enters Super Bowl LVIII with mediocre postseason numbers this year but is four solid quarters away from making history.
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