Among quarterbacks selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, 49ers signal-caller Brock Purdy is in a league of his own.
The artist formerly known as “Mr. Irrelevant” has ascended to NFL stardom in his season-plus as San Francisco’s starting quarterback, and the success of his 2022 draft counterparts pales in comparison.
Shortly after the Pittsburgh Steelers traded quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to point out the underwhelming success of quarterbacks selected in the draft two years ago.
One name, in particular, was noticeably missing from the list.
2022 QB Class
• Kenny Pickett (20th overall): Traded.
• Desmond Ridder (74th overall): Traded.
• Malik Willis (86th overall): Titans backup.
• Matt Corral (94th overall): Out of the NFL.
• Bailey Zappe (137th overall): Patriots backup.
• Sam Howell (144th overall): Traded.— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 15, 2024
Breer, of course, was aware of Purdy’s omission.
And yes, as a lot of people have pointed out, the very last pick of that draft was a quarterback who's done pretty well for himself. https://t.co/RmUKkQrv50
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 15, 2024
San Francisco 49ers
There were nine total quarterbacks selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, including Pickett, Ridder, Willis, Corral, Zappe, Howell, Chris Oladokun (No. 241), Skylar Thompson (no. 247), and of course, Purdy (No. 262), who undeniably has had the most success among the group.
Purdy took the league by storm in the second half of the 2022 NFL season, leading the 49ers to an NFC Championship Game appearance in his rookie campaign. After undergoing offseason elbow surgery, Purdy returned as San Francisco’s starter in 2023 with an encore performance that earned him his first Pro Bowl nod and was worthy of NFL MVP consideration while the 24-year-old led the 49ers to a Super Bowl LVIII appearance.
As the 49ers’ starter, Purdy owns an impressive 21-6 regular- and postseason record in parts of two seasons with San Francisco. In 2023, the Iowa product completed 308 of 444 pass attempts for a 49ers franchise-record 4,280 yards with 33 total touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
If a 2022 re-draft was held today, it’s pretty clear that Purdy not only would be the first quarterback selected, but likely would be an early-first-round pick as well.
