Brock Purdy is already one of the NFL’s most prominent underdog stories ever. The former Iowa State product was the “Mr. Irrelevant” — the last pick — during the 2022 draft and was hardly expected to ever be a starter on a championship-caliber team.
But after injuries to Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, Purdy quickly asserted himself as a quarterback who belongs. He’s now a Pro Bowler with two NFC title game appearances under his belt, and he has the San Francisco 49ers on the precipice of glory with a berth in this Sunday’s Super Bowl. Not bad for a guy every NFL team wrote off multiple times — the 49ers included — in the draft.
Of course, with Purdy being the last pick, that also means everyone was drafted ahead of him, and eight separate quarterbacks (!) were selected before he finally came off the board. Given where most of the otherwise atrocious 2022 quarterback class now stands, overlooking Purdy in any context now looks especially egregious.
Let’s take a look at every signal-caller that went ahead of the 49ers’ starting quarterback in this year’s Super Bowl.
Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers (First round, No. 20 overall)
Pickett has been the Steelers’ primary starter for each of the last two seasons. He has 13 touchdown passes in 24 starts and averages just over 186 passing yards per game.
Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons (Third round, No. 74 overall)
The Falcons made a bold bet that Ridder would be their young answer at quarterback during the 2023 season. He proceeded to get benched twice at the helm of an ineffective offense that eventually cost former head coach Arthur Smith his job.
Malik Willis, Tennessee Titans (Third round, No. 86 overall)
Considered a tantalizing if raw prospect, the Titans took a shot on Willis as someone they could develop behind the scenes. Two years in, it’s unclear if he’s anything more than a backup for Tennessee as it potentially builds around 2023 second-round draft pick Will Levis.
Matt Corral, Carolina Panthers (Third round, No. 94 overall)
How Corral’s professional career has gone thus far is exemplified by the above picture. That is him wearing the Panthers’ No. 9 jersey in 2022, which now belongs to 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young. Corral is not on an NFL roster at the time of this writing.
Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots (Fourth round, No. 137 overall)
Zappe is perhaps best known as the man who successfully supplanted Mac Jones as the Patriots’ (temporary) starter. Just for emphasis: Clearing Mac Jones is not a high bar. At all. Zappe might have a long career as a backup, though!
Sam Howell, Washington Commanders (Fifth round, No. 144 overall)
Howell had every opportunity to cement himself as the long-term future in Washington, D.C., in 2023. But a historic sack rate (13.6 percent) amid a 4-13 record led the Commanders to the No. 2 overall pick this April. It would be shocking if they did not draft a quarterback in that slot.
Chris Oladokun, Pittsburgh Steelers (Seventh round, No. 241 overall)
Once again, a photo is the whole story. The Steelers took a seventh-round flier on Oladokun, and he never made their final roster. Fortunately, he eventually found a practice squad place with the Chiefs. But hey, at least he’s been (kind of) a part of the last two Super Bowls.
Skylar Thompson, Miami Dolphins (Seventh round, No. 247 overall)
Of all the non-Purdy quarterbacks on this list, Thompson might ironically be the most successful. Because of injuries to Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa, Thompson has three starts under his belt, including playoffs. He came within a few throws short of helping to upset the Buffalo Bills on the road during the 2023 playoffs.
