The 49ers do not need a quarterback.
But why not draft one anyway?
After all, three years ago the 49ers invested the final pick in the draft in a quarterback only a college football junkie would love.
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SIGN UP HERE Brock Purdy did not turn out too badly.
On Saturday, the 49ers picked Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke in the seventh round with the No. 227 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Rourke (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) played at Ohio University in his first five college seasons. He finished up at Indiana, where he put together a second-team All-Big Ten season.
Rourke, 24, completed 69.4 percent of his pass attempts for 3,042 yards with 29 touchdowns and five interceptions.
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The 49ers might have already been set at their quarterback depth chart with Purdy, backup Mac Jones and potential third-stringer Tanner Mordecai.
Rourke might not have an opportunity to compete for a roster spot as a rookie, as he continues physical therapy after undergoing surgery in January to repair his right ACL. He sustained the injury in August but played the season with a bulky brace on his knee.
He did not take part in pre-draft workouts. Rourke said he will try to return to the field as quickly as possible, but he will be under the timeline the 49ers set in place.
If healthy, Rourke would enter the picture to compete with Mordecai for a roster spot.
That competition might have to wait a year.
Mordecai spent last season on the practice squad after the 49ers signed him as an undrafted rookie following a college journey that took him from Oklahoma to SMU to Wisconsin over the course of seven football seasons.
In two seasons at SMU, Mordecai threw 72 touchdown passes with 22 interceptions. His production dropped off dramatically in his final college season at Wisconsin.
Rourke can take some inspiration in knowing the last time the 49ers selected a quarterback in the first round, it became one of the NFL’s top success stories.
Purdy was the 262nd and final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Now, he is on the verge of becoming a rich man.
The 49ers and Purdy continue negotiations toward a long-term contract. Purdy is set as the 49ers’ No. 1 quarterback and figures to be around for a while.
Jones signed a two-year, $7.3 million contract with the 49ers in free agency. So there does not appear to be an opening for the No. 2 job until the 2027 season.
But as the 49ers found out in 2022, you never know when you might need a quarterback to step out of obscurity and into the spotlight.
Purdy found his way onto the field after injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. Then, in the NFC Championship Game, of all games, the 49ers had to turn to a fourth quarterback when Purdy sustained a severe elbow injury.
The 49ers would have used a fifth quarterback, too. Josh Johnson sustained a concussion, and Purdy was forced back onto the field despite the fact he was unable to throw a pass.
The 49ers know as well as any team that it’s never a bad idea to add another player at the most important position in all of sports.