How many 'Mr. Irrelevants' have made it in the NFL? Exploring the careers of the final picks from previous drafts

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Prudy earned the 'Mr. Irrelevant' tag in the 2022 NFL Draft. But on Sunday, he made history for all the right reasons. Purdy became the first Mr. Irrelevant to throw a touchdown in an NFL game.

Purdy replaced injured quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the first quarter of San Francisco's Week 13 game against the Miami Dolphins. However, he didn't waste any time in finding Kyle Juszczyk for a touchdown. He eventually finished with 210 passing yards and two touchdowns to help the 49ers register a 33-17 win over Miami.

Purdy was the last pick, 262nd overall, out of Iowa State in the 2022 NFL Draft. The rookie quarterback featured in only three regular-season games prior to the matchup against the Dolphins.

However, Purdy is now in a league of his own in the Mr. Irrelevant category with his touchdown in Week 13. Ever since the tag originated in 1976, only five players have played in more than 50 career NFL games.

Center Matt Elliott was given the Mr. Irrelevant distinction in 1992. He played 63 games for Washington and the Carolina Panthers during his career. Marty Moore, another last-overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft, played 112 NFL games and won a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots.

The Chicago Bears selected two effective Mr. Irrelevants in back-to-back drafts in 1999 and 2000. The former was running back Jim Finn, who played 106 games in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and the New York Giants. The Bears also selected Michael Green, who played 104 games across eight seasons.

Arguably the most reassuring Mr. Irrelevant was drafted in 2009 when Ryan Succop went to the Kansas City Chiefs. The placekicker won a Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 and is currently seventh among active players in scoring.

How did the term 'Mr. Irrelevant' originate in the NFL?

San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy

Although the first NFL Draft was held in 1936, it wasn’t until 1976 that the nickname Mr. Irrelevant originated. The rather disrespectful tag is a nickname given to the final pick of the annual draft.

Kelvin Kirk earned the first Mr. Irrelevant distinction when he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 487th pick in the 1976 NFL Draft. This draft, incidentally, included the most players ever drafted.

After each draft, the newly-crowned Mr. Irrelevant and his family are invited to spend a week during the summer in Newport Beach. These players are also invited on a trip to Disneyland and golf tournaments after being revealed to be the final pick in each draft. They are awarded a Lowsman Trophy as well, a trophy similar to the Heisman Trophy, but with a player fumbling a football.