NFC Notes: Brock Purdy, 49ers, Cardinals, Rams, Jalen Ramsey

49ers

All 32 NFL teams missed on 49ers seventh-round QB Brock Purdy during the draft — yes even San Francisco as they would have taken him earlier than the literal last pick of the draft had they had any inkling what he was capable of. One NFL coach wrote “no interest” in his scouting report of Purdy, and he wasn’t alone. He explained what Purdy has shown so far in his NFL career that everyone missed. 

“The biggest thing that stood out differently than from his college film, and [49ers GM] John Lynch actually said it a few weeks ago, is his athleticism,” this coach told the Athletic’s Bruce Feldman. “I don’t remember him moving like that at Iowa State, and he didn’t test well. He jumped 27 inches, which is terrible. He ran a 4.85 (4.84). He’s got short arms, like really short, and he’s got small hands. He’s 6-1, and his arm is OK. The twitchiness just wasn’t really there. His short shuttle was OK —4.45 — that’s not outstanding.

“There feels like there’s two or three of those guys every year, who’ve played a ton in college. They produced and know the playbook in and out but are just physically limited. They play so much and so you get a really good look at what they can’t do, where sometimes it helps guys that don’t play that much because their warts don’t show up as much.”

Purdy had strong rushing production in college but since nearly all of it came against Big 12 defenses, it appears most NFL evaluators dismissed it. 

“The requirement to juke people and outrun people in college is a lot lower than it is in the NFL,” the coach said. “You saw that with Zach Wilson, Johnny Manziel, Tim Tebow — guys that looked fast in college, but they’re just not fast enough in the NFL. In college, they might be able to outrun that D-end or pull away from that linebacker, but they got hawked down in the NFL. But Purdy has kinda maintained that and almost surpassed his level of agility in the NFL. I wonder what he did in the offseason (to get ready for the NFL).”

Cardinals

• Over The Cap’s Nick Korte released his compensatory pick projections, which historically have been incredibly accurate, even more than the official NFL release at times. He projects the Cardinals to receive third, fifth and sixth-round picks for the loss of WR Christian Kirk, OLB Chandler Jones and RB Chase Edmonds.

Rams

• NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reports the Rams have requested an interview with Bears assistant OL coach Austin King for their vacancy at OL coach.
• Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there’s some thought that the Rams will look to trade some of their higher-paid players this offseason to try and reset from a disappointing 2022 season, with CB Jalen Ramsey coming up as a possibility: “[Ramsey] is one I think the Rams will at least explore [moving]. He’s still a top guy, but the play has fallen off a little bit and [he] could use a change of scenery.”
• Over The Cap’s Nick Korte released his compensatory pick projections, which historically have been incredibly accurate, even more than the official NFL release at times. He projects the Rams to receive fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh-round picks for the loss of CB Darious Williams, G Austin Corbett, DT Sebastian Joseph-Day and OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.