It's no secret that Brock Purdy was one of the best NFL quarterbacks in 2023, but was his eye-popping success in his first full season a product of his natural talent or the playmakers around him?
While Purdy has many weapons in coach Kyle Shanahan's dominant offense, ESPN's Dan Orlovsky believes some of Purdy's physical and mental traits are among the best in the league.
In his latest column, Orlovsky ranked Purdy among the 10 best at the position in these five areas:
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Ball placement
- Joe Burrow, Bengals
- Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
- Matthew Stafford, Rams
- C.J. Stroud, Texans
- Brock Purdy, 49ers
- Geno Smith, Seahawks
- Dak Prescott, Cowboys
- Jared Goff, Lions
- Josh Allen, Bills
Mechanics
- Joe Burrow, Bengals
- Matthew Stafford, Rams
- Justin Herbert, Chargers
- C.J. Stroud, Texans
- Dak Prescott, Cowboys
- Jared Goff, Lions
- Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
- Aaron Rodgers, Jets
- Brock Purdy, 49ers
- Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
Decision-making with the football
- Aaron Rodgers, Jets
- Matthew Stafford, Rams
- Joe Burrow, Bengals
- C.J. Stroud, Texans
- Brock Purdy, 49ers
- Jordan Love, Packers
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
- Dak Prescott, Cowboys
- Jared Goff, Lions
- Kirk Cousins, Falcons
Pocket presence
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
- Joe Burrow, Bengals
- C.J. Stroud, Texans
- Matthew Stafford, Rams
- Lamar Jackson, Ravens
- Brock Purdy, 49ers
- Jordan Love, Packers
- Josh Allen, Bills
- Geno Smith, Seahawks
- Dak Prescott, Cowboys
Second-reaction ability
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
- Josh Allen, Bills
- Lamar Jackson, Ravens
- Brock Purdy, 49ers
- Jordan Love, Packers
- Caleb Williams, Bears
- Dak Prescott, Cowboys
- Jalen Hurts, Eagles
- Gardner Minshew, Raiders
- Justin Herbert, Chargers
Purdy completed 308 of 444 pass attempts (69.4 percent) for 4,280 passing yards and 31 touchdowns to 11 interceptions in 2023.
San Francisco 49ers
The 24-year-old has been lauded for his quick decision-making, ball placement and improvability since he took over as San Francisco's starter midway through the 2022 season, but it appears, as Orlovsky points out, that Purdy possesses even more impressive traits.