What is the Mr. Irrelevant pick in the NFL Draft

The NFL Draft lasts three days and finishes with north of 250 picks. The 32 teams start with seven picks apiece, and then there are 30-something comp picks to add in, with more comp picks going to teams that lose coaches and front office executives to other teams under the expanded Rooney Rule. In 2021, that means there are 259 total picks.

And that 259th pick is a special one. The final pick of each year’s draft is referred to as Mr. Irrelevant. The title was first bestowed on Dayton wide receiver Kelvin Kirk, when he was the 487th pick of the 1976 draft — selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers. There were a whole lot of rounds in the draft back in the day.

Former NFL wide receiver Paul Salata founded the idea of Mr. Irrelevant to honor underdogs, and particularly the underdog that is the final pick of the draft. Salata created an entire event around it called “Irrelevant Week.” The player and his family are brought out to Newport Beach, California and get a trip to Disneyland, participate in a sailing regatta, and attend a Major League Baseball Game. The week wraps with the annual Lowsman Banquet where the player receives the Lowsman Trophy, meant to parody the Heisman Trophy.

All of this is used to benefit various charities. Recent beneficiaries include the American Cancer Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Goodwill Industries, YMCA, Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity, NFL Alumni, and the American Red Cross, among others.

The current “reigning” Mr. Irrelevant is Tae Crowder, a Georgia linebacker selected by the New York Giants in 2020. Notably, the 2021 Super Bowl featured the first time a Mr. Irrelevant played in and won a Super Bowl when Ryan Succop was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker. The Bucs actually hold the Mr. Irrelevant pick this year at No. 259

And in case you’re wondering, yes, you can bet on Mr. Irrelevant. DraftKings Sportsbook is offering odds on the position of the final pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. Offense is the favorite at -110, defense is listed at +100, and special teams is +1100. The last five years have been linebacker, tight end, wide receiver, quarterback, and cornerback. So, there is unpredictability to it.