The San Francisco 49ers have been receiving a lot of love from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler's series of NFL positional rankings articles.Fowler has been surveying coaches, executives, and scouts for a top-10 players list for every position group in the league. First, it was Christian McCaffrey, then it was Nick Bosa and George Kittle. Each player cracked the top 10 at their position, and rightfully so. However, one player who many 49ers fans deem as a top-10 player at their position didn't make the cut. That player is Brock Purdy. The quarterback rankings list was revealed early Monday, and it didn't include Purdy in the top 10. Being left out will cause many fans to view it as a major snub. Purdy gets snubbed in QB rankingJan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) prepares to snap the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectIt's obvious which players made the top 5 list. That will always include Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson. Purdy will never get to that group.However, the group he's capable of beating is the players close to the No. 10 spot. Caleb Williams made the cut as the No. 10 quarterback, which is interesting.Williams has only had one good season so far in his early career. I'd imagine NFL figures are banking on Williams' physical traits, as that's his greatest feature.After Williams are Jared Goff at No. 9 and Drake Maye at No. 8. These are the three quarterbacks I'd focus on when comparing them to Purdy, since that is the range he would've been ranked.I don't think Purdy can eclipse Maye, even though he, too, has only one good season. But Maye plays like Purdy if Purdy had improved physical traits.As for Goff, that is always a constant back and forth between which player to take over the other. It's truly a coin flip that I'd slightly lean with Purdy.San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy throws a pass during the Tight End University annual offseason training summit at Vanderbilt University’s FirstBank Stadium on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectAnd Williams? Well, that's just pure raw talent that's edging him over Purdy, which I wouldn't be ready to rank him over Purdy just yet, but he can get there with another solid year.If you want to view this as Purdy getting snubbed, then that's fair. Purdy missing out isn't insane since he's always been a No. 10-to-12 quarterback for me. This feels fitting.Plus, he did get a little love from one NFC executive. "He has got two superpowers. Layering the ball and short-area quickness to stay alive. He's elite in those two areas," an NFC executive said.Just because Purdy didn't make the top 10 cut doesn't mean he's not a solid quarterback. If anything, this ranking brings to light that there is much he can improve on.He's more than capable of doing it, like being more decisive, getting the ball out of his hands faster. If he can make those improvements, do not be surprised if he's a top-10 quarterback next year.Follow Jose on X (Twitter) @JS3sanchezz to interact with him on the 49ers and more.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow