Ohio State had the most drafted players in the 2026 NFL Draft, and it is unlikely they will slow down anytime soon. Jeremiah Smith has the chance to go as the top pick if a team with a settled QB room gets its hands on the first overall. And according to CBS Sports, QB Julian Sayin is the third-best quarterback in the 2027 draft class. CBS’s Ryan Wilson even had a comp for the OSU QB1: Brock Purdy. But a former NFL GM thinks Sayin is better than the 49ers’ $265 million QB in one aspect.

“I think he is a better athlete than Brock,” former GM of the Tennessee Titans, Ran Carthon, said to Wilson on CBS Sports. “And this is why I want to draw this comparison and this difference, right? Because you won’t necessarily look at Peyton Manning or look at Tom Brady as athletic, two guys who didn’t have the most fluid feet. But if you watch their movement in the pocket, then you would say that they are good pocket athletes.

“In Julian Sayin, let me not say he is a better athlete. He’s twitchier in his movements than Brock Purdy. And I think he does have better speed if he so chooses to show, but Brock Purdy is a sneaky good athlete that you wouldn’t expect, but does some really nice things in the pocket, and outside the pocket to manipulate and extend plays.

Brock Purdy has so far overperformed his 262nd overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. No one expected him to start for Kyle Shanahan. Not only did he take on the QB1 role, but he even led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance. In comparison, Sayin is still relatively young in his career, with just one year of starting experience at Columbus. Last year, the OSU QB produced a historic pass completion rate but faltered in the playoffs.

However, Carthon was at his diplomatic best while discussing the two QBs, putting forth the comparison as a direct analysis of specific aspects of their playing styles, which appear similar. In fact, several analysts have labeled Sayin as a younger Purdy due to their similar playing styles. Neither player is a dual-threat quarterback, with more reliance on their arms than their feet.

Purdy is not the best QB in terms of athleticism. He lacks the elite size and speed to cope well under pressure and has had to rely on his decisiveness to avoid sacks. His sharp mental processing is what has helped him achieve a 67.9% pass completion average in his NFL career, surpassing 69% twice. He even finished top 5 in passing yards in 2023, with 4,280 yards. Purdy’s 2025 season was marred by injuries.

Sayin, on the other hand, faces a similar problem and fails to improvise when needed. He was sacked 16 times last year. A majority of those sacks came in just two games against Indiana and Miami, respectively. Notwithstanding, he has the athleticism he needs; perhaps he only shows it less. That was the emphasis of his spring training at Columbus. The QB even showed that he is willing to use his legs more in Ohio State’s Spring game a few months ago.