Scout's view: What makes 49ers QB Brock Purdy elite

Daniel Kelly spent four years in pro scouting with the New York Jets. He is the published author of the book "Whatever It Takes," the story of a fan making it into the NFL.

Watching San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy play this season is like watching poetry in motion. Although he was off in a Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns, the second-year QB still put his team in position to attempt the winning kick. Despite the defeat, Purdy remains atop the QBR ratings and has a stellar 13-2 regular-season record as a starter. 

What a career start for "Mr. Irrelevant," the 262nd — and last — pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The 49ers selected Purdy even though many still believed Trey Lance — the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft — was their answer at QB. 

Before the draft, I thought Purdy — who starred at Iowa State — showed more polish than Kenny Pickett and Sam Howell, who are now starting for Pittsburgh and Washington, respectively. I compared him to Rich Gannon, who earned NFL MVP in 2002 with the Raiders. Before his rookie training camp, I said on YouTube: "Brock Purdy is a better QB than Trey Lance." 

Fast forward to 2023: Per oddschecker, Purdy has the fifth-best odds of winning the NFL MVP award and the Niners are 5-1 and the league's most complete team. Lance, meanwhile, is a third-stringer for the Cowboys. 

I studied tape from Purdy's games this season against the Steelers (Sept. 10), Rams (Sept. 17), Giants (Sept. 21), Cardinals (Oct. 1), Cowboys (Oct. 8) and Browns (Oct. 15). During those performances, I jotted down the words "fluid," "crisp," "smooth," "deliberate" and "competitive." 

In each game, Purdy made quick throwing decisions and looked efficient (he has only one interception). The only real knock is his average arm strength, which sometimes results in inaccurate passes when he can't step into throws. 

Here are three reasons I think Purdy is an elite QB: 

1. Poise

He remains unfazed despite a fearsome pass rush, as this clip shows: