I've got Brock Purdy as one of my two quarterbacks in my main dynasty league; the other is Kyler Murray. Since Murray was a first overall pick, it's weird to think that Purdy might be the more valuable dynasty quarterback. But he had a pretty remarkable season last year.
Purdy's 4,280 passing yards and 33 total touchdowns ranked him 7th among quarterbacks in typical fantasy leagues. This century, there have been only three other quarterbacks selected in the 7th round to finish with top-12 fantasy numbers in a season: Ryan Fitzpatrick (who did it multiple times), and Matt Cassel and Tyler Thigpen, who did it once each.
It's not just rare for 7th-rounders to hit; it's rare for any quarterbacks selected outside the fourth round. (The fourth round isn't particularly common either, but there a couple of those guys starting in the league these days, Kirk Cousins and Dak Prescott.) The only 5th-rounders to put up top-12 fantasy numbers in a season this century are Mark Brunell and Sam Howell (last year). Not many 6th-rounders: Tom Brady, many times, and Matt Hasselbeck, Marc Bulger and Derek Anderson.
There are more players who weren't drafted at all (a group that Purdy was just one pick away from joining) who have made it since 200o than 7th-rounders. That's a group that includes Kurt Warner, Tony Romo, Jeff Garcia and a couple of other guys. Some good examples, it seems, that Purdy should have more good years coming up (more reasonable to compare him to someone like Romo than Tyler Thigpen).
Table shows the best fantasy seasons from quarterbacks selected after the 4th round (or undrafted) since 2000, sorted by fantasy points.
BEST QBS DRAFTED RD 5 ON (OR UNDRAFTED), 2000-PRESENT | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rd | Year | Player | Pass | TD | Int | Run | TD | FPts | Rk |
6 | 2007 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 4806 | 50 | 8 | 98 | 2 | 462.1 | 1 |
6 | 2021 | Tom Brady, T.B. | 5316 | 43 | 12 | 81 | 2 | 457.9 | 3 |
6 | 2011 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 5235 | 39 | 12 | 109 | 3 | 446.7 | 4 |
6 | 2015 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 4770 | 36 | 7 | 53 | 3 | 410.4 | 2 |
6 | 2020 | Tom Brady, T.B. | 4633 | 40 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 410.3 | 7 |
FA | 2000 | Jeff Garcia, S.F. | 4278 | 31 | 10 | 414 | 4 | 405.3 | 2 |
6 | 2012 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 4827 | 34 | 8 | 32 | 4 | 404.6 | 3 |
FA | 2001 | Kurt Warner, St.L. | 4830 | 36 | 22 | 60 | 0 | 393.5 | 1 |
FA | 2007 | Tony Romo, Dall. | 4211 | 36 | 19 | 129 | 2 | 379.5 | 2 |
FA | 2012 | Tony Romo, Dall. | 4903 | 28 | 19 | 49 | 1 | 373.0 | 7 |
7 | 2023 | Brock Purdy, S.F. | 4280 | 31 | 11 | 144 | 2 | 364.4 | 7 |
FA | 2001 | Jeff Garcia, S.F. | 3538 | 32 | 12 | 254 | 5 | 364.3 | 2 |
6 | 2017 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 4577 | 32 | 8 | 28 | 0 | 363.7 | 3 |
7 | 2015 | Ryan Fitzpatrick, NYJ | 3905 | 31 | 15 | 270 | 2 | 358.3 | 12 |
FA | 2008 | Kurt Warner, Ari. | 4583 | 30 | 14 | -2 | 0 | 351.0 | 4 |
8 | 2004 | Trent Green, K.C. | 4591 | 27 | 17 | 85 | 0 | 348.1 | 4 |
6 | 2010 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 3900 | 36 | 4 | 30 | 1 | 348.0 | 6 |
FA | 2009 | Tony Romo, Dall. | 4483 | 26 | 9 | 105 | 1 | 344.7 | 5 |
6 | 2022 | Tom Brady, T.B. | 4694 | 25 | 9 | -1 | 1 | 344.6 | 10 |
6 | 2009 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 4398 | 28 | 13 | 44 | 1 | 344.3 | 6 |
FA | 2011 | Tony Romo, Dall. | 4184 | 31 | 10 | 46 | 1 | 343.8 | 9 |
6 | 2014 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 4109 | 33 | 9 | 57 | 0 | 343.2 | 11 |
5 | 2023 | Sam Howell, Was. | 3946 | 21 | 21 | 263 | 5 | 343.0 | 11 |
8 | 2000 | Elvis Grbac, K.C. | 4169 | 28 | 14 | 110 | 1 | 337.5 | 6 |
6 | 2007 | Derek Anderson, Cle. | 3787 | 29 | 19 | 70 | 3 | 332.4 | 5 |
FA | 2004 | Jake Delhomme, Car. | 3886 | 29 | 15 | 71 | 1 | 327.4 | 7 |
6 | 2005 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 4110 | 26 | 14 | 89 | 1 | 324.4 | 2 |
6 | 2013 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 4343 | 25 | 11 | 18 | 0 | 323.0 | 11 |
FA | 2006 | Jon Kitna, Det. | 4208 | 21 | 22 | 156 | 2 | 322.0 | 3 |
6 | 2007 | Matt Hasselbeck, Sea. | 3966 | 28 | 12 | 89 | 0 | 321.2 | 6 |
6 | 2002 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 3764 | 28 | 14 | 110 | 1 | 321.2 | 8 |
6 | 2003 | Matt Hasselbeck, Sea. | 3841 | 26 | 15 | 125 | 2 | 320.6 | 3 |
8 | 2002 | Trent Green, K.C. | 3690 | 26 | 13 | 225 | 1 | 319.0 | 9 |
8 | 2003 | Trent Green, K.C. | 4039 | 24 | 12 | 83 | 2 | 318.3 | 4 |
6 | 2006 | Marc Bulger, St.L. | 4301 | 24 | 8 | 44 | 0 | 317.5 | 5 |
6 | 2003 | Marc Bulger, St.L. | 3845 | 22 | 22 | 75 | 4 | 313.8 | 5 |
FA | 2002 | Jeff Garcia, S.F. | 3344 | 21 | 10 | 353 | 3 | 312.5 | 10 |
7 | 2008 | Matt Cassel, N.E. | 3693 | 21 | 11 | 270 | 2 | 311.7 | 8 |
6 | 2004 | Marc Bulger, St.L. | 3964 | 21 | 14 | 89 | 3 | 311.1 | 9 |
7 | 2011 | Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buff. | 3832 | 24 | 23 | 215 | 0 | 311.1 | 11 |
FA | 2001 | Jay Fiedler, Mia. | 3290 | 20 | 19 | 321 | 4 | 300.6 | 9 |
9 | 2003 | Brad Johnson, T.B. | 3811 | 26 | 21 | 33 | 0 | 299.7 | 9 |
5 | 2000 | Mark Brunell, Jac. | 3640 | 20 | 14 | 236 | 2 | 299.6 | 7 |
6 | 2004 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 3692 | 28 | 14 | 28 | 0 | 299.4 | 10 |
FA | 2003 | Jon Kitna, Cin. | 3591 | 26 | 15 | 113 | 0 | 294.9 | 10 |
6 | 2005 | Matt Hasselbeck, Sea. | 3459 | 24 | 9 | 124 | 1 | 287.4 | 6 |
6 | 2006 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 3529 | 24 | 12 | 102 | 0 | 286.7 | 7 |
FA | 2007 | Kurt Warner, Ari. | 3417 | 27 | 17 | 15 | 1 | 286.4 | 10 |
6 | 2003 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 3620 | 23 | 12 | 63 | 1 | 285.3 | 11 |
FA | 2008 | Tony Romo, Dall. | 3448 | 26 | 14 | 41 | 0 | 280.5 | 10 |
8 | 2001 | Trent Green, K.C. | 3783 | 17 | 24 | 158 | 0 | 280.1 | 11 |
8 | 2005 | Trent Green, K.C. | 4014 | 17 | 10 | 82 | 0 | 278.9 | 9 |
7 | 2008 | Tyler Thigpen, K.C. | 2608 | 18 | 12 | 386 | 3 | 271.7 | 12 |
FA | 2007 | Jon Kitna, Det. | 4068 | 18 | 20 | 63 | 0 | 283.6 | 11 |
FA | 2005 | Jake Delhomme, Car. | 3421 | 24 | 16 | 31 | 1 | 276.2 | 12 |
FA | 2003 | Jeff Garcia, S.F. | 2704 | 18 | 13 | 319 | 7 | 284.7 | 12 |
For now I'll be hanging onto both Purdy and Kyler. Arizona seems committed to him, and just maybe they'll be using the 4th overall pick on a franchise wideout to help him take another step up next year. Or maybe they'll shock us all and draft a quarterback, in which case I'll be very glad I have Purdy. I see no reason to think he won't keep things going over the next few years.
--Andy Richardson