San Francisco 49ers pick Iowa State QB Brock Purdy with last pick in NFL draft

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Before Saturday, Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Brock Purdy had a wide range of potential outcomes in mind for his football future. In the days leading up to the NFL draft, he had been told he could be drafted as early as round four or go undrafted entirely.

As it turned out, Purdy did get selected. Barely.

With the final pick in this year's draft, No. 262 overall, the San Francisco 49ers selected Purdy. It's a choice that comes with the title of «Mr. Irrelevant,» and includes a week of activities in southern California.

In the moments after his selection, Purdy didn't hesitate to embrace his new title but also made it clear he intends to carve out a longer lasting, more important position as an NFL quarterback.

«I think it's a funny thing,» Purdy said. «If you're a fan, or even my family, friends and stuff, it's funny to laugh about it and joke around with it. For me, I'm looking at it as an opportunity. I got my foot in the door, a team believed in me and now I get my opportunity to go and play football. That's what I want my career to be. That's what I want my job to be is to be an NFL quarterback and now I have the opportunity to do so. That's how I'm looking at it.

»From the outside looking in, I guess it's a funny thing and I'll embrace the role and have some fun with it for sure, but at the end of the day I'm trying to go and help a team win the Super Bowl. That's where my mindset is at with it."

Purdy had an inkling he could land in San Francisco after a Zoom meeting with Niners quarterbacks coach Brian Griese about a month ago. That interest was forged when coach Kyle Shanahan asked Griese and assistant quarterbacks coach Klay Kubiak to put together a list of names they liked at the