What is Mr. Irrelevant? Explaining the NFL draft nickname for final pick

Ehsan Kassim Paste BN NETWORK

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Welcome to the 50th anniversary of irrelevancy.

Well, that honor will go to one special player at the end of the 2025 NFL Draft. The final pick of the draft will receive the honor of earning the title of "Mr. Irrelevant." While the moniker goes to the player selected with the final pick of the draft, it does not have to be a title that sticks.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is living proof of that. Purdy was the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft but led the 49ers to the 2023 Super Bowl. Since then, Purdy has solidified himself as the starter for San Francisco and has proved to be among the better starting signal callers in the league.

The honor of "Mr. Irrelevant" was first coined by former USC receiver and NFL draftee Paul Salata in 1976, with Kelvin Kirk becoming the first official "Mr. Irrelevant" with the 1976 NFL Draft. Now the celebration and charity event is in its 50th year, crossing an important milestone.

Here's a look at Mr. Irrelevant's tradition, what it means and a couple of standouts who have emerged from the final pick.

What is Mr. Irrelevant in the NFL draft?

Mr. Irrelevant is the moniker handed to the final player picked in each year's NFL draft. While it sounds like a nickname of derision, with Salata actually coming up with the nickname and a charitable event to celebrate the honor of being the final selection in a draft.

"We established Irrelevant Week to drive home an important message — that it’s not a negative to be picked last in the NFL Draft; rather, it’s an honor to be drafted at all,” Salata said on the organization's website. “The last draft pick’s demonstration of perseverance is a lesson that resonates not only with NFL players and fans but also with people everywhere.”

Interestingly, Salata was selected in the 10th round as the 118th overall pick in the 1951 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The final pick of the 1951 draft was guard Sisto Averno by the Cleveland Browns with pick No. 362. However, he still started the tradition in 1976 when Kelvin Kirk (Dayton) was picked with the 487th and final pick of the draft.

History of Mr. Irrelevant and Irrelevant Week

According to the Mr. Irrelevant organization's website, it has raised more than $1 million to donate to charities over the last four decades as an important staple and charitable event. The NFL Alumni, the American Cancer Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Goodwill Industries, the YMCA, the Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity and the American Red Cross are among the organizations that have been charitable beneficiaries in the past.

Salata announced the "Mr. Irrelevant" pick from 1976 until 2013, when his daughter, Melanie Salata-Fitch, took over the honors. In 2021, Salata died at the age of 94.

Following the draft, Mr. Irrelevant makes a trip to Newport Beach, California, for a week's worth of events. Those events include a tour of Disneyland, media opportunities, participating in a sailing regatta in the world-famous Newport Harbor and attending an MLB game (either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Angels).

The week of celebration of the Mr. Irrelevant honors rounds out with the final pick of the draft attending the annual Lowsman Banquet as a guest of honor. The banquet gives past and present sports stars a chance to celebrate and roast the guest of honor.

A silent action follows and the event closed with Mr. Irrelevant being awarded the Lowsman Trophy, which mimics the Heisman Trophy, but also depicts a football player fumbling the football.

What number pick is Mr. Irrelevant?

The title of "Mr. Irrelevant" is given to the final pick of the NFL draft in a certain year. There is no specific number, as the number of picks in a given draft can vary year to year based on compensatory picks awarded to teams.

For example, defensive end Desjuan John was Mr. Irrelevant as pick No. 259 in the 2023 NFL Draft. Brock Purdy earned the honors as pick No. 262 in 2022, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected linebacker Grant Stuard with pick No. 259 in 2021 and the New York Giants selected linebacker Tae Crowder went No. 255 in 2020.

Mr. Irrelevant will go with Pick No. 257 in 2025, just as it did in 2024. The New York Jets selected Alabama safety Jaylen Key with the pick last year.

Unless there is a trade, the Kansas City Chiefs currently hold the pick, rewarded as compensation based on a formula that determines compensatory free agents based on salary, playing time and postseason honors.

Mr. Irrelevant 2024: Jaylen Key

Key is the most recent Mr. Irrelevant selection heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, coming out of Alabama. He was picked No. 257 overall by the Jets, however, he was waived on Aug. 27, 2024, before being re-signed to the practice squad. Key was released by the Jets on Oct. 30, 2024, but then latched on with the Bengals' practice squad on Dec. 17, 2024.

The 25-year-old has not appeared in an NFL game yet, but he did sign a reserve/future contract on Jan. 7 with the Bengals.

Mr. Irrelevant 2023: Desjuan Johnson

The defensive end and final pick of the 2023 NFL Draft from Toledo was selected by the Rams, has appeared in 21 games during his NFL career. He has notched 21 total tackles (nine solo), three sacks and a forced fumble.

He also notched two tackles, including a sack, in two postseason appearances. Johnson's sack of Sam Darnold in the NFC Wild Card round was the Rams' ninth team sack of the Vikings, which tied a single-game NFL playoff sack record.

Mr. Irrelevant 2022: Brock Purdy

The 49ers selected Purdy with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, likely without the intention of Purdy ever entering a game with the franchise. At that time, the team still had the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft in Trey Lance and veteran and incumbent starter Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster.

However, Lance's season ended in Week 2 and Garoppolo's in Week 13, paving the way for Purdy to start. The 2022 Mr. Irrelevant led the 49ers to five consecutive wins with 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Purdy led San Francisco to playoff wins over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys before suffering a torn UCL in the NFC championship game. He led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2023.

Purdy has a 27-15 record in three seasons in the NFL, with 9,518 passing yards, 64 touchdowns and 27 interceptions.

List of Mr. Irrelevant picks by year

Outside of Purdy, Marty Moore (1994) and Ryan Succop (2009) are the likely most successful Mr. Irrelevants in NFL history.

Succop was selected No. 256 by the Chiefs in the 2009 draft out of South Carolina and played for 14 seasons in the NFL for the Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, and Buccaneers. On Feb. 7, 2021, he became the first Mr. Irrelevant to start in a Super Bowl, as he connected on four field goals and a 34-yard field goal to help Tom Brady and the Buccaneers defeat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs 31-9 in Super Bowl 55.

Moore was the first Mr. Irrelevant to play in a Super Bowl, as he appeared in Super Bowl 31 (1997) and Super Bowl 36 (2001) with the New England Patriots. The Patriots selected him No. 222 in the 1994 draft out of Kentucky. He became the first Mr. Irrelevant to win a Super Bowl in 2001, which was also Brady's first Super Bowl win.

Here's a look at every Mr. Irrelevant since the inception of the nickname in 1976:

1976, Pick 487: Kelvin Kirk, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dayton
1977, Pick 335: Jim Kelleher, RB, Minnesota Vikings, Colorado
1978, Pick 334: Lee Washburn, G, Dallas Cowboys, Montana State
1979, Pick 330: Mike Almond, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers, Northwestern State
1980, Pick 333: Tyrone McGriff, G, Pittsburgh Steelers, FAMU
1981, Pick 331: Phil Nelson, TE, Oakland Raiders, Delaware
1982, Pick 334: Tim Washington, DB, San Francisco 49ers, Fresno State
1983, Pick 335: John Tuggle, RB, New York Giants, California
1984, Pick 336: Randy Essington, QB, Los Angeles Raiders, Colorado
1985, Pick 336: Donald Chumley, DT, San Francisco 49ers, Georgia
1986, Pick 333: Mike Travis, DB, San Diego Chargers, Georgia Tech
1987, Pick 335: Norman Jefferson, DB, Green Bay Packers, LSU
1988, Pick 333: Jeff Beathard, WR, Los Angeles Rams, Southern Oregon
1989, Pick 335: Everett Ross, WR, Minnesota Vikings, Ohio State
1990, Pick 331: Demetrius Davis, TE, Los Angeles Raiders, Nevada
1991, Pick 334: Larry Wanke, QB, New York Giants, John Carroll
1992, Pick 336: Matt Elliott, C, Washington, Michigan
1993, Pick 224: Daron Alcorn, K, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Akron
1994, Pick 222: Marty Moore, LB, New England Patriots, Kentucky
1995, Pick 249: Michael Reed, DB, Carolina Panthers, Boston College
1996, Pick 254: Sam Manuel, LB, San Francisco Giants, New Mexico State
1997, Pick 240: Ronnie, McAda, QB, Green Bay Packers, Army
1998, Pick 241: Cam Quayle, TE, Baltimore Ravens, Weber State
1999, Pick 253: Jim Finn, FB, Chicago Bears, Pennsylvania
2000, Pick 254: Michael Green, DB, Chicago Bears, Northwestern State
2001, Pick 246: Tevita Ofahengaue, TE, Arizona Cardinals, BYU
2002, Pick 261: Ahmad Miller, DT, Houston Texans, UNLV
2003, Pick 262: Ryan Hoag, WR, Oakland Raiders, Gustavus Adolphus
2004, Pick 255: Andre Sommersell, LB, Oakland Raiders, Colorado State
2005, Pick 255: Andy Stokes, TE, New England Patriots, William Penn
2006, Pick 255: Kelvin McMahan, Oakland Raiders, Maine
2007, Pick 255: Ramzee Robinson, DB, Detroit Lions, Alabama
2008, Pick 252: David Vobora, OLB, St. Louis Rams, Idaho
2009, Pick 256: Ryan Succop, K, Kansas City Chiefs, South Carolina
2010, Pick 255: Tim Toone, WR, Detroit Lions, Weber State
2011, Pick 254: Cheta Ozougwu, DE, Houston Texans, Rice
2012, Pick 253: Chandler Harnish, QB, Indianapolis Colts, Northern Illinois
2013, Pick 254: Justice Cunningham, TE, Indianapolis Colts, South Carolina
2014, Pick 256: Lonnie Ballentine, S, Houston Texans, Memphis
2015, Pick 256: Gerald Christian, TE, Arizona Cardinals, Louisville
2016, Pick 253: Kalan Reed, DB, Tennessee Titans, Southern Miss
2017, Pick 253: Chad Kelly, QB, Denver Broncos, Ole Miss
2018, Pick 256: Trey Quinn, WR, Washington, SMU
2019, Pick 254: Caleb Wilson, TE, Arizona Cardinals, UCLA
2020, Pick 255: Tae Crowder, LB, New York Giants, Georgia
2021, Pick 259: Grant Stuart, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston
2022, Pick 262: Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers, Iowa State
2023, Pick 259: Desjuan Johnson, DE, Los Angeles Rams, Toledo
2024, Pick 257: Jaylen Key, DB, New York Jets, Alabama
2025, Pick 257: Kobee Minor, DB, New England Patriots, Memphis

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