From Mr Irrelevant to Mr Relevant, deservingly: How Brock Purdy made it to the NFL (and 49ers)

Brock Purdy, the last player selected in the most recent NFL draft and labeled Mr. Irrelevant, has become essential to the San Francisco 49ers' progress.

There are around 260 selections in the draft, distributed over seven rounds (numbers vary by year) every year. It has become customary to refer to the final candidate as "Mr. Irrelevant." These players haven't had much significance in the league.

Purdy was the third-string quarterback entering this season, with Trey Lance taking over from Jimmy Garropolo. However, Lance suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2. The situation meant Jimmy Garoppolo would return to the starting lineup.

Then, in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins, Garoppolo suffered a foot problem that will likely end his season. This left the Niners with two options going into the playoffs: signing a free agent as a temporary replacement until the end of the season or relying on the final pick in the NFL draft.

The San Francisco 49ers gave Brock Purdy his first NFL start against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While making his first start, Purdy became the first QB to defeat Brady as a debutant in a 35-7 victory on Dec. 11.

Purdy contributed to the NFC West championship when San Francisco beat the Seattle Seahawks 21-13 in Week 15 .

Purdy had a minor oblique injury in that game, but it didn't tell because he threw two touchdown passes. San Francisco's ground game and defensive line made sure that the Seahawks had little likelihood of preventing their NFC West opponents from winning the division.

Brock Purdy's stats

Brock Purdy has already assisted in guiding his squad to three straight victories. Additionally, he has performed flawlessly in those games.

Purdy has six TDs and one interception in those games, completing 69.1 percent of his passes while maintaining a quarterback rating of 108.8. All that occurred against the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks – three postseason contenders.

San Francisco has not yet slowed down thus far under Purdy, and as a result, the 49ers are still Super Bowl contenders.

Where did Brock Purdy play college football?

Iowa State was Brock Purdy's collegiate football team. He set 32 records, including career pass attempts, completions, yards, and both passing and total touchdowns, at the school. He was a three-time All-Big 12 quarterback. His 14 outings with 300 or more yards passing were almost three times as many as Bret Meyer's previous school record.