Mr. Irrelevant is the nickname given to a player selected with the final pick in an NFL draft. Players chosen with this pick are often released from the team that drafted them before the regular season begins. Some exceptions include Jacque MacKinnon, Ryan Succop, Marty Moore, and Brock Purdy.
History
"Mr. Irrelevant" and "Irrelevant Week" began in 1976 when former USC and pro football receiver Paul Salata founded the event in Newport Beach, California. Salata had a short and "irrelevant" career in professional football, playing the 1949 AAFC season as a member of the San Francisco 49ers and in the 1950 NFL season for the first Baltimore Colts, and sought to bring attention to other unlauded players for whom a professional career was likely to be fleeting."Salata's Short Career: Irrelevance is Relative," Petersen's 19th Annual: Pro Football 1979. Los Angeles: Petersen Publishing Co., 1979, pp. 30–31.
Originally organized by Salata and fellow members of the Balboa Bay Club, after each draft the new Mr. Irrelevant — last player selected in the annual NFL draft — and his family are invited to spend a week during the summer in Newport Beach. A trip to Disneyland, a golf tournament featuring a main foursome consisting of the highest-handicapped golfers from each of four neighboring courses, a No Start/No Finish regatta, a roast giving advice to the new draftee, and a ceremony awarding him the Lowsman Trophy are traditional activities associated with "Irrelevant Week". The trophy mimics the Heisman Trophy but depicts a player fumbling a football.
"Irrelevant Week" gave so much publicity to "Mr. Irrelevant" that in 1979 the Los Angeles Rams, with the penultimate pick, intentionally passed to let the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the last pick, choose before them. The Steelers also wanted the publicity and passed as well. The two teams continued to refuse to choose a player until NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle forced the teams to pick, with the Steelers winning the pick. The incident led to the "Salata Rule", which prohibits teams from passing to get the final pick.
Prior to the establishment of Mr. Irrelevant in 1976, the first final pick to make the Pro Bowl was Bill Fischer, who was the last pick in the 1948 NFL draft. He was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals after his junior season at Notre Dame. He opted to stay in school, and won the Outland Trophy as the nation's top interior lineman in 1948. The Cardinals drafted him again in 1949, this time with their first-round pick.
The last player chosen in the 1961 NFL draft, Jacque MacKinnon, had a successful 10-season career. However, he signed with the San Diego Chargers of the rival American Football League instead of with the Philadelphia Eagles. He appeared in two AFL All-Star Games in 1966 and 1968. He is one of only three final picks to appear in a Pro Bowl or the equivalent.
Jimmy Walker was the final pick in the 1967 NFL draft, despite never having played college football. His main sport, however, was basketball, in which he was a consensus All-American and the nation's leading scorer as a senior at Providence College. Walker was the first pick in the 1967 NBA draft, and opted for a career in the NBA.
The first Mr. Irrelevant to play in the Super Bowl was Marty Moore, a special teams player drafted last in 1994, who played with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI.
Salata announced the final pick of each NFL draft until 2013; from 2014 his daughter took over in announcing the pick.
Notable selections
Since the NFL draft was cut to its current seven-round format in 1994, players presented with this dubious honor have more often succeeded in making the team that drafted them, with some making significant contributions.
Tyrone McGriff was perhaps the most successful Mr. Irrelevant from the pre-1994 era. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the last pick of the 12th round in 1980. He made the 1980 NFL All-Rookie Team, and played two more seasons for the Steelers. In 1983, he moved on to the Michigan Panthers of the upstart United States Football League. He won a league championship ring that year, as well as a spot on the USFL All-Star Team. John Tuggle started five games as a fullback his rookie year, and was named the 1983 New York Giants Special Teams Player of the Year. However, during the 1984 training camp, he was diagnosed with cancer. He never played again, and died in 1986. Marty Moore, a special teams player, became the first Mr. Irrelevant to play in a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI and first Mr. Irrelevant to win a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI. Mike Green played a significant role in the Chicago Bears secondary in the 2000s, and played from 2000 to 2008. Jim Finn was on the roster as a fullback for the New York Giants on their victory in Super Bowl XLII. Prior to the 2007 season, Finn was placed on injured reserve and never played a game for the Giants on their road to the Super Bowl that year, having been replaced by Madison Hedgecock. He had been the Giants fullback for four seasons. Ryan Succop, the 2009 designee, became the starting kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs. He went on to tie the NFL record for highest field goal percentage by a rookie in a season with 86.2 percent, and also passed NFL Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud for most field goals made by a rookie in Chiefs history. Succop was awarded the Mack Lee Hill Award that year. He has been a starting kicker since his rookie season. Succop moved on to the Tennessee Titans for the 2014 season and was signed to a contract extension in early 2018 before being released in March 2020 and signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in early September. He proceeded to win Super Bowl LV with the team, becoming the second Mr. Irrelevant to win an NFL championship, and first to play and win a Super Bowl as a starter and an active player. Chad Kelly, the 2017 designee and former Ole Miss quarterback, is the nephew of former Buffalo Bills quarterback and Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. Drafted last largely because injury and discipline questions had lowered his previously high draft stock, Kelly progressed to become the Denver Broncos' second-string quarterback by the 2018 preseason before being released on October 24, 2018. He later signed with the Indianapolis Colts. After moving to the Canadian Football League, Kelly won the 109th Grey Cup in relief of Toronto Argonauts starting quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson. The following season Kelly led the team to a 16–2 record before they lost in the playoffs to the eventual champions in Montreal. He was later awarded the CFL most outstanding player for that season. Brock Purdy, the 2022 designee, was propelled into the starting quarterback role for the San Francisco 49ers after injuries to the first- and second-string quarterbacks, Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. In his rookie season, Purdy became the only rookie quarterback to beat Tom Brady in a starting debut. Purdy became the first Mr. Irrelevant to complete a forward pass, a touchdown pass, and a rushing touchdown in the regular season. He won all five games he started as San Francisco completed a 10-game winning streak to close out the season, after which he became the first Mr. Irrelevant quarterback to start and win in a playoff game. Purdy was ultimately named a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year, finishing third place in voting. Purdy remained the starting quarterback in 2023, leading the 49ers to a 5–0 start, a repeat division title, and an appearance in Super Bowl LVIII, where he became the first Mr. Irrelevant to throw a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl, while setting a new single season franchise record for passing yards. That season, he finished fourth place in MVP voting and was named to his first Pro Bowl, becoming the first 49ers quarterback in two decades to earn the honor. Purdy has been nicknamed "Mr. Relevant" for his immediate impact and rise to prominence, and is considered the greatest "Mr. Irrelevant" of all time. In 2025, San Francisco signed Purdy to a $265 million extension.
Mr. Irrelevant selections = Selected to Pro Bowl = Won the Super Bowl + List of final picks in NFL drafts Year Round Pick Overall Name Team Position College Games19369981 GiantsGHoly Cross219371010100 RamsGTCU019381210110 BearsE Denver31939225200 GiantsGTexas01940225200 GiantsTWhittier01941222204 SteelersBCornell171942225200 BearsCTexas A&I751943325300 RedskinsGDelaware01944326330 YanksBTexas01945326330 PackersBOklahoma A&M01946325300 RamsBOklahoma01947327300 GiantsBNorth Carolina01948327300 CardinalsGNotre Dame4919492510251 EaglesG Penn7119503013391 EaglesBBaylor019513011362 BrownsGMuhlenberg5119523011360 BrownsBXavier019533011360 LionsEMontana019543011360 LionsBEureka (IL)019553011360 BrownsCTennessee019563011360 BrownsTWake Forest019573011360 GiantsEWashington State019583011360 LionsBTennessee019593012360 ColtsBWest Virginia Tech019602012240 GiantsTMcMurry019612014280 EaglesBColgate11819622014280 PackersCWestern Michigan019632014280 PackersBHouston119642014280 BearsRBYale019652014280 ColtsQBMcNeese State019662015305 ColtsTMorgan State419671726445 SaintsWRProvidence019681727462 BengalsTEJackson State019691726442 JetsDTDuke019701726442 ChiefsDBAlcorn A&M019711726442 RaidersWRSam Houston State019721726442 CowboysDTBethune–Cookman019731726442 DolphinsWRTennessee State2119741726442 DolphinsDBTuskegee019751726442 Steelers GNebraska019761728487 SteelersWRDayton019771227335 VikingsRBColorado019781228334 CowboysGMontana State019791227330 SteelersWRNorthwestern State019801228333 SteelersGFlorida A&M3619811228332 RaidersTEDelaware019821228334 49ersDBFresno State219831228335 GiantsRBCalifornia1619841228336 RaidersQBColorado019851228336 49ersDTGeorgia019861228333 ChargersDBGeorgia Tech019871228335 PackersDBLSU1419881228333 RamsWRSouthern Oregon019891228335 VikingsWROhio State019901227331 RaidersTENevada019911228334 GiantsQBJohn Carroll019921228336 RedskinsCMichigan631993828224 BuccaneersKAkron01994728222 PatriotsLBKentucky1121995741249 PanthersDBBoston College31996745254 49ersLBNew Mexico State01997739240 PackersQBArmy01998752241 RavensTEWeber State01999747253 BearsRBPennsylvania1062000748254 BearsDBNorthwestern State1042001746246 CardinalsTEBYU02002750261 TexansDTUNLV02003748262 RaidersWRGustavus Adolphus02004754255 RaidersLBColorado State02005741255 PatriotsTEWilliam Penn02006747255 RaidersWRMaine02007745255 LionsCBAlabama262008745252 RamsOLBIdaho402009747256 ChiefsKSouth Carolina2162010748255 LionsWRWeber State02011753254 TexansDERice92012746253 ColtsQBNorthern Illinois02013748254 ColtsTESouth Carolina42014741256 TexansSMemphis42015739256 CardinalsTELouisville32016732253 TitansCBSouthern Miss72017735253 BroncosQBOle Miss12018738256 RedskinsWRSMU162019740254 CardinalsTEUCLA52020741255 GiantsLBGeorgia432021731259 BuccaneersLBHouston662022741262 49ersQBIowa State572023742259 RamsDEToledo322024737257 JetsSAlabama02025741257Patriots CBMemphis52026741257BroncosLBBuffalo0
Mr. Irrelevant picks by NFL team The New York Giants have held the Mr. Irrelevant pick a total of nine times, the most of any NFL team. The Boston Yanks are the only defunct franchise to have held a Mr. Irrelevant pick. The Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Seattle Seahawks are the only teams that have never had a Mr. Irrelevant pick.
Team Picks Year(s) Notes New York Giants 9 1936, 1939, 1940, 1947, 1957, 1960, 1983, 1991, 2020 Las Vegas Raiders 7 1971, 1981, 1984, 1990, 2003, 2004, 2006 5 as the Oakland Raiders 2 as the Los Angeles Raiders Chicago Bears 5 1938, 1942, 1964, 1999, 2000 Detroit Lions 5 1953, 1954, 1958, 2007, 2010 Green Bay Packers 5 1945, 1962, 1963, 1987, 1997 Indianapolis Colts 5 1959, 1965, 1966, 2012, 2013 3 as the Baltimore Colts 2 as the Indianapolis Colts Los Angeles Rams 5 1937, 1946, 1988, 2008, 2023 1 as the Cleveland Rams 1 as the St. Louis Rams