Why is Brock Purdy called Mr. Irrelevant? Story behind 49ers QB's nickname explained

San Francisco 49ers franchise QB Brock Purdy is arguably the best quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft class. The 2022 Mr. Irrelevant has had a dream start to his NFL career, remaining unbeaten and being one of the better young shot callers in the league. But why is Purdy known as "Mr. Irrelevant" if he was pivotal for the 49ers?

Well, Mr. Irrelevant is the nickname given to the final pick of the NFL Draft. The Mr. Irrelevant title has been a staple of NFL Drafts since the 1976 Draft.

Grading Brock Purdy's draft class: How many QBs have done better than the 49ers QB so far?

Eight quarterbacks were selected before Purdy in the 2023 NFL Draft. Their names are Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh Steelers), Desmond Ridder (Atlanta Falcons), Malik Willis (Tennessee Titans), Matt Corral (Carolina Panthers), Bailey Zappe (New England Patriots), Sam Howell (Washington Commanders), Chris Oladokun (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Skylar Thompson (Miami Dolphins). As you can tell, the "Mr. Irrelevant" of this Draft has had, by far, the best NFL career so far from the bunch.

The 2022 NFL Draft's Mr. Irrelevant is the franchise QB of one of the best teams in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers. Since breaking into the starting lineup, Purdy has made a mockery of his "Mr. Irrelevant" tag. The Iowa State University alum was the first Mr. Irrelevant to make a forward pass in a regular season game successfully, and it has been up from there.

Purdy finished his rookie season with five consecutive regular-season victories, completing a 10-game winning streak by San Francisco to close the season. He carried on his regular season form to the postseason, leading the 49ers to an NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, Purdy got hurt in the game, as the 49ers fell just short of a Super Bowl LVII appearance.

So far, Purdy has started the 2023 NFL season where he left off, opening the season with a 5-0 record. The San Francisco 49ers are the only franchise currently unbeaten in 2023 alongside their NFC foes, the Philadelphia Eagles. No quarterback has done better than Brock Purdy in his Draft class.

Grading the QBs in Brock Purdy's draft class

Now that we've listed the QBs selected ahead of Brock Purdy in his Draft class, it's high time we grade them. We'll start from the top.

1. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pick 20 - B

Pickett is the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he has done a decent job in Pittsburgh. The University of Pittsburgh alum is a home-grown talent, and the fans are behind him. While he hasn't done anything special in the NFL just yet, he's one of just four QBs in the 2022 class that is currently an undisputed starter in the NFL.

2. Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons, Pick 74 - C

Ridder earned the starting quarterback job for the Falcons ahead of the 2023 NFL season. He hasn't been spectacular this season, but at least he's starting games at the highest level.

3. Malik Willis, Tennessee Titans, Pick 86 - D

Willis is the QB2 or QB3 in Tennessee, depending on who you ask. That's interesting, considering that some draft analysts thought him the most naturally gifted QB in the 2022 Draft class. Unfortunately, he is fighting a losing battle in Tennessee, as the franchise drafted the highly rated Will Levis to take his place. A "D" grade might even be generous.

4. Matt Corral, Carolina Panthers, Pick 94 - E

The Panthers have mainly ignored Coral as they elected to trade up to number one for Bryce Young in the 2023 Draft. This tells you about the franchise's faith in the Ole Miss alum. Coral left the franchise ahead of his sophomore season.

5. Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots, Pick 137 - C-

Mac Jones' backup plays for the worst Patriots team of the past twenty years. It's not a dream spot for the Western Kentucky alum.

6. Sam Howell, Washington Commanders, Pick 144 - B

Howell is the franchise quarterback for the usually trigger-happy Washington Commanders franchise. This shows that the Commanders' new ownership group has faith in Howell's ability to quarterback the team. He gets a positive grade for that sole reason.

7. Chris Oladokun, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pick 241 - F

Oladokun is yet to make a start in the NFL. He'll be rated an F until he changes that. However, that won't be on the team that drafted him, as he was waived by the Steelers a while ago.

8. Skylar Thompson, Miami Dolphins, Pick 247 - D

Thompson is the third-string QB for the Miami Dolphins heading into 2023. He could be eligible for a Super Bowl ring if the Dolphins go all the way.

9. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers, Pick 262 - A+

Arguably the best "Mr. Irrelevant" of all time. If Brock Purdy stays healthy in San Francisco, he can become one of his generation's finest QBs. We know it's cliché at this point, but we might have the next Tom Brady right in front of us!