INDIANAPOLIS — Two years ago, new Washington Chiefs general manager Adam Peters was at the NFL Scouting Combine evaluating a little-known quarterback named Brock Purdy.
The former 49ers executive recalled what he saw from the young quarterback who indicated he had a shot at NFL success.
“Actually, with Brock, he was always quiet,” Peters said this week. “As it stands now, it's the same guy every day and it was his tape that really interested us. Then you meet the person. That was only a small part of the process.”
Peters explained that everyone who attends the meeting can evaluate the talent they see from the players on the field while obviously taking a look at each prospect's college film as well. He thought Purdy had what it took to be a great match.
“His tape and everything he did at Iowa State, how well he played and how well he played the position, we thought he could fit well into our scheme,” Peters said.
The combination is often the first “point of contact” for many team members with all prospective students at the college. Peters explained how important face-to-face meetings are, along with the comprehensive medical examinations that are performed.
Peters believes teams often make mistakes regarding who a player is as a person. As far as Purdy goes, the 49ers knew they had a hard worker who was respected by his teammates.
“You make the biggest mistakes on the person more than the actual talent,” Peters said. “I think we're all here for a reason, in terms of being talent evaluators, but understanding what makes that person special, how they're going to fit into your locker room and your own culture is the biggest thing you can make mistakes.”
Peters and the 49ers' personnel department clearly out-selected Purdy with the 262nd pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Now the first-year Washington executive has been tasked with finding “the next Brock Purdy.”
“If we thought he was good, we probably wouldn't have waited until the last pick,” Peters said with a smile, “We liked him so much, now I have to find a new quarterback.”
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast