A lot has happened since the 49ers selected Brock Purdy at No. 262 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The 24-year-old quarterback certainly has shed the Mr. Irrelevant title that comes with being the draft's last pick, having led San Francisco to back-to-back NFL playoff appearances, and now, Super Bowl LVIII.
But long before Purdy was a finalist for the 2023 NFL MVP award, he was just a name on the 49ers' draft board -- and one they deemed talented enough to select with their final pick.
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Even though general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan couldn't have predicted what Purdy would become for the 49ers, their heartwarming draft-day call to the young signal-caller made it clear the franchise saw something special from the start.
"I'm sorry it took 'til the end, but we find you very relevant -- but you are going to be Mr. Irrelevant," Lynch told Purdy. "All right, man? So, we're thrilled to have you a part of us, OK? We're fired up."
"Brock, congrats dude," Shanahan told Purdy. "You're coming into an awesome situation for you. We've loved you on tape, man. You know how to play the position, and this is a hell of a day for you, man."
Purdy thanked Shanahan for the opportunity and told the coach he was "ready to roll" -- and he definitely was.
San Francisco 49ers
Purdy went on to wow the 49ers in training camp as a rookie before the 2022 NFL season, earning a spot on the 53-man roster as San Francisco's third-string quarterback behind starter Trey Lance and backup Jimmy Garoppolo. When both of the quarterbacks went down with injury, it was Purdy's turn to step up.
Purdy's ascension as the 49ers' starting quarterback likely was no surprise to Shanahan, who said during the '22 camp that their third-string signal-caller was the best on their roster.
The rest is history, as they say, and the situation was just right. Less than two years later, Purdy is the 49ers' single-season passing yards record holder -- breaking multiple franchise and NFL records along the way -- and now has the San Francisco on the cusp of its sixth Super Bowl victory.
Purdy and the 49ers have their sights set on a win in Las Vegas next week -- but even if things don't go their way, nabbing a franchise quarterback with the last pick of the draft might go down as one of the biggest steals in NFL draft history.
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