How the NFL Draft’s “Mr. Irrelevant” nickname came to be

Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off in Green Bay tonight. Which means a new Mr. Irrelevant—potentially the most-beloved underdog in all of sports—will soon be crowned.

Since its introduction, the moniker, given to the last player taken in the draft each year, has ironically grown to become very relevant. The fanfare surrounding the pick has sparked an official rule to prevent teams choosing second-to-last from passing on their pick, and even spawned a beer named after it.

The relevance of irrelevance

In 1976, Paul Salata, a former NFL wide receiver, secured approval from then-commissioner Pete Rozelle for the Mr. Irrelevant concept.

Salata, a late-round pick in the 1949 NFL Draft, liked the idea of celebrating the underdog—the idea wasn’t designed as a cutting Kill Tony-style roast, but meant to be endearing, ESPN reports.

• Every year, the new Mr. Irrelevant gets invited to Newport Beach, California, for Irrelevant Week, which culminates with a banquet where the Lowsman Trophy, a spoof of the Heisman Trophy that portrays a player fumbling the ball, is awarded.

On the field: Mr. Irrelevants have generally performed as you’d expect from the last pick in the draft. Though exceptions include QB Brock Purdy (taken by San Francisco) and K Ryan Succop (Kansas City).

Zoom out: In preparation for Round 1, check out an NFL insider’s mock draft, or put on your Kevin Costner Draft Day-GM hat and use this free simulator to make picks yourself.

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