The unprecedented success of Brock Purdy as the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has manifested into an early run on quarterbacks on Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Days 1 and 2 of the draft saw a combined five quarterbacks get taken, and only two of them were selected outside of the top four. But on Day 3, teams decided to start looking for the next Brock Purdy.
The New Orleans Saints got things started by taking Fresno State’s Jake Haener 127th overall, and the Los Angeles Rams immediately responded by taking Georgia’s Stetson Bennett the very next pick.
A few picks later, the Las Vegas Raiders traded up and took a flyer on Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell 135th overall. Just a few picks after that, the Arizona Cardinals selected Houston’s Clayton Tune.
The Cleveland browns finished the run by taking UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson with the 140th overall pick.
QBs today …
• Saints: Jake Haener, Fresno State (127).
• Rams: Stetson Bennett, Georgia (128).
• Raiders: Aidan O’Connell, Purdue (135).
• Cardinals: Clayton Tune, Houston (139).
• Browns: Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA (140).All had at least 28 starts and 1K attempts.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 29, 2023
It’s a bit unlikely that any of those five players will wind up being a Week 1 starter. But the 2022 NFL season and the injuries to quarterbacks across the league created a mad scramble to find depth at the position.
No player offered better depth than Brock Purdy, who went from being Mr. Irrelevant to leading the San Francisco 49ers all the way to the NFC Championship Game – displacing established veteran Jimmy Garoppolo and former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance in the process.
The Brock Purdy effect is in full effect this year and could very well wind up setting a precedent for future drafts as well.