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INDIANAPOLIS – Two years ago, new Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters was at the NFL Scouting Combine evaluating an unknown quarterback named Brock Purdy.
The former 49ers executive recalled what he saw in the young quarterback that indicated he had a chance to make it in the NFL.
“Really with Brock, he was always composed,” Peters said this week. “As it is now, he’s the same guy every day and really the tape of him was what really turned us on. Then you know the person. This was just a small part of the process.”
Peters explained that everyone who attends the combine can evaluate the talent they see in the players on the field and, obviously, they can also watch the college film of each prospect. He believed Purdy had what it took to be a great catch.
“His tape and everything he did at Iowa State, and how well he played and how well he played the position, we thought he could really fit well with our scheme,” Peters said.
The combine is often the first “point of contact” for many team personnel with all college prospects. Peters explained how important face-to-face meetings can be, along with the extensive medical exams that are performed.
Peters believes teams often make mistakes in who the player is as a person. When it came to Purdy, the 49ers knew they had a diligent worker who was respected by his teammates.
“The biggest mistakes are made more on the person than on the actual talent,” Peters said. “I think we’re all here for a reason, in terms of being talent evaluators, but understanding what motivates that person and how they’ll fit into your locker room and your particular culture is the biggest thing you can make mistakes on.”
Peters and the 49ers’ personnel department clearly outbid Purdy with the 262nd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Now the first-year executive in Washington is tasked with finding the “next Brock Purdy.”
“If we thought it was that good, we probably wouldn’t have waited until the last election,” Peters said with a smile. “We liked him a lot and now I have to find a new quarterback.”
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