Mr Irrelevant for 2023 has been determined and it carries a bit of extra weight this year.
Just beyond 365 days ago, something truly compelling happened in the NFL.
The San Fransisco 49ers took a young man by the name of Brock Purdy on the third day of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was taken 262nd overall. He was the final pick in the Draft.
But at the time, nobody really batted an eyelid. And that’s fair enough. By the 7th round, teams are just taking true fliers on prospects and it very rarely amounts to anything.
This time, though, it would be very different.
A 22-year-old quarterback prospect out of Iowa State, Brock Purdy would be added to the back of the 49ers’ depth chart. He’d sit behind second-year emerging starter Trey Lance, who had been taken with the 3rd overall pick in 2021, along with veteran signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo.
San Fran would enter the 2022 season with QB being a position of strength; Lance was an incredibly exciting young, duel-threat prospect with huge upside and a cannon for an arm, while Garoppolo had piloted the franchise all the way to the Super Bowl in early 2020. ‘Jimmy G’ was arguably the best backup quarterback on any roster entering last year.
At no point did it cross anyone’s mind that the third-stringer would quickly emerge as a borderline household name in the United States, as the season matured. But after Lance suffered a brutal Week 2 ankle fracture and his replacement Garoppolo was injured against Miami in Week 11, Brock Purdy was suddenly thrust right into relevancy.
All of a sudden, the hopes of an NFC heavyweight rested on the shoulders of the NFL’s ‘Mr Irrelevant’. And it went so well for so long.
But the organisation’s title chances would eventually crumble; yet another injury at the quarterback position, quite unbelievably.
It happened in the biggest of moments, too; the first quarter of the conference championship game in Philadelphia. One win from a Super Bowl date with Kansas City, the Eagles’ pass-rush got home and caused the most impactful pressure of their season (watch the play here); it ended Purdy’s magical rookie run, as he ruptured the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. All of a sudden, backup for the Playoff game Josh Johnson was in the huddle at QB and the 49ers were unable to generate enough offence to hang with Jalen Hurts’ Eagles. Philly was off to the Super Bowl, the 49ers were done.
But it didn’t take away from Purdy’s remarkable story as an NFL rookie. In his first start, the opposing quarterback was Tom Brady. His other scalps included Dak Prescott’s Dallas Cowboys.
Purdy’s first seven starts, leading up to the NFC Championship game, resulted in seven San Fransisco wins. Fans were starting to wonder whether an unknown rookie quarterback could actually lead a Super Bowl-winning run. That’s how close it got.
It was easily one of the most fascinating tales of the 2022 season. Purdy’s run has caused murmurs and ‘smoke’ that Trey Lance, the quarterback they invested a huge haul of picks into, could be on the trade table.
General Manager John Lynch went as far as to say that Purdy, who still faces a lengthy rehabilitation process on his throwing arm, is the starter going forward. He’s not even guaranteed to be fit and ready for Week 1 of the new NFL season, which starts in late August / early September.
“I think Brock has earned the right with the way he played that he’s probably the leader in the clubhouse,” Lynch said.
“I’ll let Kyle make those kinds of decisions… if we were to line up, he’d probably take that first snap.”
Now there are other conversations being had about how quickly it would seem the franchise is giving up on the prospect with a higher ceiling and greater athletic measurables. And right now, Lance is the healthier one, too. But that’s all for another day.
There’s now a new Mr Irrelevant in the NFL; a Draft prospect that will generate plenty of off-season attention, more than normal. And he’s got Brock Purdy to thank for that.
Who is the NFL’s Mr Irrelevant for 2023?
Desjuan Johnson
The title is staying in the NFC West; the LA Rams had the final pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
LA general manager Les Snead spent pick 259 on the defensive lineman out of Toledo. Johnson previously wore number 99 too, which is famously worn by one of the best players in football Aaron Donald. Mr Irrelevant plays the same position as 31-year-old Donald, who is a sure-fire Hall of Famer one day and arguably the best defensive player we’ve ever seen. That means Johnson is in a prime location to learn and sponge as much IQ and experience as possible.
It’s already come out that Mr Irrelevant Johnson views Donald as one of his favourite players.
“In my opinion, I believe we’ve got somewhat similar traits, but just to learn from him, from watching film and now get to sit next to him and just take notes, I’m going to just be like a newborn,” Johnson said after being taken by the Rams.
Johnson is a 6-2, 285-pound man mountain that racked up 135 tackles, 30 tackles for loss and 10 sacks during his final two seasons. While it should not necessarily be the expectation, he could emerge and actually help this Rams defence later this year. It’s a good landing spot for rookies keen to contribute; Les Snead has built a stars and scrubs roster that is not known for its depth.
What is the NFL’s ‘Mr Irrelevant’ concept?
The nickname Mr Irrelevant is cheekily given to the final pick in the NFL Draft, every year. It began all the way back in 1976; Dayton wide receiver Kelvin Kirk was the very first.
It was a concept quite randomly started by former 49ers and Colts receiver Paul Salata, who himself announced the final selection of the draft every year until 2013.
Brock Purdy may well become the most impactful Mr Irrelevant the NFL ever sees.
But veteran kicker Ryan Succop, who was still active on Tampa Bay’s roster last year, has famously enjoyed a prosperous career. He was drafted by Kansas City in 2009 and has earned over $USD 32 million dollars across 15 seasons in the League. Succop won a Super Bowl with Brady’s Buccaneers in 2020.
