Mr. Irrelevant history in NFL draft: Every final pick since 1976 - ESPN
The nickname «Mr. Irrelevant» — given to the player selected as the last pick in the NFL draft — has been used for decades, but San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy rekindled interest in the topic last season.
The rookie took over the starting job in Week 14 after then-starter Jimmy Garoppolo went out with a foot injury and eventually lifted the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game. He became the only Mr. Irrelevant QB in the common draft era (since 1967) to start and win a playoff game. In his five regular-season and three playoff starts, Purdy ranked third in QBR (68.9), fifth in completion percentage (67.4%) and tied for third in passing touchdowns (14) before suffering an elbow injury. He had surgery on March 10.
Other notable Mr. Irrelevants include kicker Ryan Succop (2009) — a Super Bowl LV winner with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers whose 82.9% field goal percentage ranks 37th in NFL history, according to Pro Football Reference — and linebacker Tae Crowder (2020), who had 232 total tackles, two sacks and two interceptions in three seasons for the New York Giants before being signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The nickname and Mr. Irrelevant Week — a celebration and charity event — were created by former player Paul Salata to celebrate the underdog. There have been many Mr. Irrelevants since Kelvin Kirk became the first in 1976. Here's the complete list:
Jump to:
2020s | 2010s | 2000s1990s | 1980s | 1970s
Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers Pick: No. 262 College: Iowa State
Grant Stuard, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pick: No. 259 College: Houston
Tae Crowder, LB, New York Giants Pick: No. 255 College: Georgia
Caleb Wilson, TE, Arizona Cardinals Pick: No. 254 College: UCLA
Trey Quinn, WR, Washington Pick: No. 256