The Denver Broncos owned the final two picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday. They used their last selection on Khalil “Red” Murdock, making the University of Buffalo linebacker this year’s Mr. Irrelevant.
The title comes with a weeklong celebration and a place in a lineage that notably includes San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
The 49ers grabbed Purdy with the last pick in the 2022 draft. During his rookie season, the Iowa State product filled in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo and led the Niners to an NFC West crown and an NFC championship appearance. The following season, Purdy made the Pro Bowl and helped San Francisco reach the Super Bowl.
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Already one of the league’s most famous seventh-rounders, Purdy remains the 49ers’ starting quarterback. The franchise signed him to a five-year, $265 million extension last May.
While Mr. Irrelevant usually doesn’t turn into an NFL starter, Purdy isn’t the only exception to the rule.
Kicker Ryan Succop was taken with the final pick in the 2009 draft. The Kansas City Chiefs chose him, but Succop ironically beat the Chiefs while kicking for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl during the 2020 season.
Linebacker Tae Crowder enjoyed some success with the New York Giants after they made him Mr. Irrelevant in 2020. He even started 17 games during the 2021 campaign, racking up a team-leading 130 total tackles, intercepting a pair of passes and forcing one fumble that season.
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How the last three Mr. Irrelevants have fared
2025, CB Kobee Minor (New England Patriots): After going from Texas Tech to Indiana to Memphis, traveling across the collegiate ranks, Minor fell to the Patriots last year. He saw time early in the 2025 season on special teams and actually earned a combined 41 defensive snaps in Weeks 17-18, per Pro Football Focus.
2024, S Jaylen Key (New York Jets): Key spent the bulk of his college career at UAB before finishing up at Alabama. The Jets drafted him, but he didn’t catch on with the team, even being released from the practice squad midseason. He later had a practice squad stint with the Cincinnati Bengals.
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2023, DE Desjuan Johnson (Los Angeles Rams): Johnson, on the other hand, has carved out a role for himself in the league. He has seen the field each of the past three seasons with the Rams. In 154 defensive snaps last season, he accounted for 20 pressures, including four during L.A.’s playoff run, per PFF. The Toledo alum has five sacks in his NFL career.
So, what is Mr. Irrelevant Week?
Mr. Irrelevant Week, or “Irrelevant Week,” is a weeklong celebration that annually honors the last player picked in the NFL Draft. It’s the brainchild of former NFL player Paul Salata.
It began in 1976, with Salata aiming to highlight the perseverance of the players who were drafted with the final pick. The week is filled with events in Newport Beach, California, plus charitable contributions to the community, and takes place in the early summer.
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Mr. Irrelevant and his guests are treated to a trip to Disneyland, media opportunities at NFL Network in Los Angeles, a chance to participate in a sailing regatta in Newport Harbor and special recognition at an MLB game, among other experiences.