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Pioli and Staley have seen top-10 draft picks flop and undrafted players enjoy 10-year careers.<\/p>\n
“The draft sets expectations for players but they are human beings,” says Pioli. “There’s lots of factors that come into their development.<\/p>\n
“Most of what we liked about Tommy [Brady] was his developmental skills and make-up. People call them intangibles – things like intelligence, work ethic, focus.<\/p>\n
“We thought that in time, in our programme, he would develop. But there has to be this confluence of timing, circumstance, situation, and then opportunity. It was right for Tommy – and it’s right for Brock Purdy now.”<\/p>\n
The draft can be a lottery, but Staley says anyone selecting players this weekend should prioritise those who “understand routine and how to be consistent”, such as former team-mate George Kittle, now one of the NFL’s best tight ends.<\/p>\n
“When he was a rookie he was not the George Kittle everybody knows now, but he absolutely loved the game,” adds Staley, who ended his 13-year career in 2020.<\/p>\n
“He surrounded himself with veteran players, constantly asking about our preparation, how we saw the game, what he could do every day to improve himself.<\/p>\n
“Guys like Brock have the same traits so it’s no surprise, when you’ve been in a locker room, to see a guy like him succeed when given an opportunity because he’s prepared himself for it.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n