How Brock Purdy Changed Quarterback Scouting

Let's be clear: No team drafting in the top 10 is looking for the next Brock Purdy. They're still looking for the next Patrick Mahomes or the next Justin Herbert.

But Purdy has changed the way NFL teams assess quarterbacks in certain ways. Primarily, he's shown them that you don't have to trade into the top 10 to get a franchise quarterback. The 49ers tried that with Trey Lance and failed big time. Instead, teams can wait until later in the draft and take someone who played lots of football in college and is ready to start as a rookie.

Purdy has reminded teams that the NFL is not a developmental league and that experience is an important trait for a draft-eligible quarterback to have. It's not the only trait that's important, but it's a factor.

The 49ers didn't seem to consider experience when they traded up three years ago for Lance, who threw fewer than 400 passes in college. Instead, they focused on his physical traits, which were off the charts, his youth, which was seen as a bonus, and the pro-style scheme he came from.

Now, when teams and scouts assess the current class of draft-eligible quarterbacks, you'll hear people say, "This kid has played a lot of football," in reference to older quarterbacks who threw more than 1,000 passes in college. Suddenly, older college quarterbacks aren't seen as players with low upside -- they're seen as players who can succeed right away in the right situation.

That's the Brock Purdy Effect.