Mr. Irrelevant — the last person selected every year in the NFL Draft — was a term coined in the 1976 NFL Draft and assigned to Kelvin Kirk, a wide receiver out of Dayton, now an FCS program. He was drafted with the 487th pick of the draft in the 17th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While Kirk didn’t stick in the NFL, he played seven seasons of football in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts, Calgary Stampeders, Saskatchewan Roughriders and Ottawa Rough Riders, amassing 153 career receptions, 2,942 receiving yards, 20 touchdowns, and 3,600 career return yards.
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His true legacy, though, is the term introduced when he was selected back in 1976 — “Mr. Irrelevant.”
Since then, the last pick of the draft has earned the title. But some players taken with that last selection, like 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, have been far from irrelevant.
Who are these famed Mr. Irrelevants? Here’s a look at the last pick of every NFL Draft, including those drafted before 1976 when the term was coined.
Full List of Mr. Irrelevants
| Year | Player | Pos | Team | College |
| 2024 | Jaylen Key | DB | NYJ | Alabama |
| 2023 | Desjuan Johnson | DE | LA Rams | Toledo |
| 2022 | Brock Purdy | QB | SFO | Iowa St. |
| 2021 | Grant Stuard | LB | TB | Houston |
| 2020 | Tae Crowder | LB | NYG | Georgia |
| 2019 | Caleb Wilson | TE | ARI | UCLA |
| 2018 | Trey Quinn | WR | WAS | SMU |
| 2017 | Chad Kelly | QB | DEN | Ole Miss |
| 2016 | Kalan Reed | CB | TEN | S. Miss |
| 2015 | Gerald Christian | TE | ARI | Louisville |
| 2014 | Lonnie Ballentine | DB | HOU | Memphis |
| 2013 | Justice Cunningham | TE | IND | S. Carolina |
| 2012 | Chandler Harnish | QB | IND | N. Illinois |
| 2011 | Cheta Ozougwu | DE | HOU | Rice |
| 2010 | Tim Toone | WR | DET | Weber St. |
| 2009 | Ryan Succop | K | KAN | S. Carolina |
| 2008 | David Vobora | LB | STL | Idaho |
| 2007 | Ramzee Robinson | DB | DET | Alabama |
| 2006 | Kevin McMahan | WR | OAK | Maine |
| 2005 | Andy Stokes | TE | NWE | William Penn |
| 2004 | Andre Sommersell | LB | OAK | Colorado St. |
| 2003 | Ryan Hoag | WR | OAK |
Gustavus Adolphus
|
| 2002 | Ahmad Miller | DT | HOU | UNLV |
| 2001 | Tevita Ofahengaue | TE | ARI | BYU |
| 2000 | Michael Green | DB | CHI | NW St. (LA) |
| 1999 | Jim Finn | FB | CHI | Pennsylvania |
| 1998 | Cam Quayle | TE | BAL | Weber St. |
| 1997 | Ron McAda | QB | GNB | Army |
| 1996 | Sam Manuel | LB | SFO | New Mexico St. |
| 1995 | Michael Reed | DB | CAR | Boston College |
| 1994 | Marty Moore | LB | NWE | Kentucky |
| 1993 | Daron Alcorn | K | TAM | Akron |
| 1992 | Matt Elliott | G | WAS | Michigan |
| 1991 | Larry Wanke | QB | NYG | John Carroll |
| 1990 | Demetrius Davis | TE | RAI | Nevada |
| 1989 | Everett Ross | WR | MIN | Ohio St. |
| 1988 | Jeff Beathard | WR | RAM | S. Oregon |
| 1987 | Norman Jefferson | DB | GNB | LSU |
| 1986 | Mike Travis | DB | SDC | Georgia Tech |
| 1985 | Donald Chumley | DT | SFO | Georgia |
| 1984 | Randy Essington | QB | LA Raiders | Colorado |
| 1983 | John Tuggle | RB | NYG | Cal |
| 1982 | Tim Washington | DB | SFO | Fresno St. |
| 1981 | Phil Nelson | TE | OAK | Delaware |
| 1980 | Tyrone McGriff | OG | PIT | Florida A&M |
| 1979 | Mike Almond | WR | PIT | NW St. (LA) |
| 1978 | Lee Washburn | OG | DAL | Montana St. |
| 1977 | Jim Kelleher | RB | MIN | Colorado |
| 1976 | Kelvin Kirk | WR | PIT | Dayton |
