Who was Mr. Irrelevant 2026? Broncos take Red Murdock with final pick of NFL draft
Who was Mr. Irrelevant 2026? Broncos take Red Murdock with final pick of NFL draft
Ehsan Kassim, USA TODAYSat, April 25, 2026 at 11:12 PM UTC
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The 2026 NFL Draft is officially in the books.
The draft for the upcoming 2026 season concluded on Saturday, April 25, in Pittsburgh with the 257th selection — a selection that has, over the years, earned the honors of having the nickname, "Mr. Irrelevant."
1 / 0Fashion and football meet in Pittsburgh on the NFL draft red carpet
Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love poses on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft at Point State Park.
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy has given the name more relevance with his play in the NFL, despite being the last pick of the 2022 draft. Ryan Succop (2009) and Marty Moore (1994) are two more notable names to earn the nickname, with Moore the first Mr. Irrelevant to win a Super Bowl, as well.
Here's what you about who Mr. Irrelevant is from the 2026 NFL Draft and more:
Who was Mr. Irrelevant 2026 from NFL draft?
Mr. Irrelevant 2026 is Buffalo linebacker Red Murdock, who was selected with the 257th and final pick of the draft by the Denver Broncos. Murdock ranked second in the nation with 142 tackles and led the Bulls with a team-best 13.5 tackles for loss on top of five sacks and six forced fumbles in 2025, earning second-team All-America selection by Walter Camp, the AP and the FWAA.
He stands at nearly 6 feet, 2 inches tall and is 232 pounds.
What is Mr. Irrelevant in the NFL draft?
The term "Mr. Irrelevant" is given the name of the last player taken in the NFL draft in a given year. Despite how it sounds, the name is not a derision, but a positive spin on the pick.
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The nickname was first introduced by former USC receiver and NFL draftee Paul Salata, who handed the nickname to Kelvin Kirk in the 1976 NFL Draft, after the Pittsburgh Steelers took the Dayton wide receiver with the last pick of the draft.
Salata played collegiately for Southern California ahead of a playing career for the AAFC/NFL's San Francisco 49ers in 1949-1950 and 1950 for the Baltimore Colts. After the Colts franchise folded, he was selected in the 10th round of the 1951 draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, after being deemed eligible for the draft.
"We established Irrelevant Week to drive home an important message — that it’s not a negative to be picked last in the NFL Draft; rather, it’s an honor to be drafted at all,” Salata said on the organization's website. “The last draft pick’s demonstration of perseverance is a lesson that resonates not only with NFL players and fans but also with people everywhere.”
What number is Mr. Irrelevant?
Mr. Irrelevant refers only to the last selection of the NFL draft in a given year, not any specific number. That's because the number of picks in a given draft varies from year to year based on compensatory picks awarded to teams.
For example, Rams defensive end Desjuan Johnson was Mr. Irrelevant in 2023 and went No. 259. Purdy was picked No. 262 in 2022, while Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Grant Stuard went with pick No. 259 in 2021 and New York Giants linebacker Tae Crowder went No. 255 in 2020.
Mr. Irrelevant will go with Pick No. 257 in 2026, marking the third straight year of the same number for the pick.
Mr. Irrelevant NFL draft history
Here's a look at every Mr. Irrelevant since the inception of the nickname in 1976:
1976, Pick 487: Kelvin Kirk, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dayton
1977, Pick 335: Jim Kelleher, RB, Minnesota Vikings, Colorado
1978, Pick 334: Lee Washburn, G, Dallas Cowboys, Montana State
1979, Pick 330: Mike Almond, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers, Northwestern State
1980, Pick 333: Tyrone McGriff, G, Pittsburgh Steelers, FAMU
1981, Pick 331: Phil Nelson, TE, Oakland Raiders, Delaware
1982, Pick 334: Tim Washington, DB, San Francisco 49ers, Fresno State
1983, Pick 335: John Tuggle, RB, New York Giants, California
1984, Pick 336: Randy Essington, QB, Los Angeles Raiders, Colorado
1985, Pick 336: Donald Chumley, DT, San Francisco 49ers, Georgia
1986, Pick 333: Mike Travis, DB, San Diego Chargers, Georgia Tech
1987, Pick 335: Norman Jefferson, DB, Green Bay Packers, LSU
1988, Pick 333: Jeff Beathard, WR, Los Angeles Rams, Southern Oregon
1989, Pick 335: Everett Ross, WR, Minnesota Vikings, Ohio State
1990, Pick 331: Demetrius Davis, TE, Los Angeles Raiders, Nevada
1991, Pick 334: Larry Wanke, QB, New York Giants, John Carroll
1992, Pick 336: Matt Elliott, C, Washington, Michigan
1993, Pick 224: Daron Alcorn, K, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Akron
1994, Pick 222: Marty Moore, LB, New England Patriots, Kentucky
1995, Pick 249: Michael Reed, DB, Carolina Panthers, Boston College
1996, Pick 254: Sam Manuel, LB, San Francisco Giants, New Mexico State
1997, Pick 240: Ronnie, McAda, QB, Green Bay Packers, Army
1998, Pick 241: Cam Quayle, TE, Baltimore Ravens, Weber State
1999, Pick 253: Jim Finn, FB, Chicago Bears, Pennsylvania
2000, Pick 254: Michael Green, DB, Chicago Bears, Northwestern State
2001, Pick 246: Tevita Ofahengaue, TE, Arizona Cardinals, BYU
2002, Pick 261: Ahmad Miller, DT, Houston Texans, UNLV
2003, Pick 262: Ryan Hoag, WR, Oakland Raiders, Gustavus Adolphus
2004, Pick 255: Andre Sommersell, LB, Oakland Raiders, Colorado State
2005, Pick 255: Andy Stokes, TE, New England Patriots, William Penn
2006, Pick 255: Kelvin McMahan, Oakland Raiders, Maine
2007, Pick 255: Ramzee Robinson, DB, Detroit Lions, Alabama
2008, Pick 252: David Vobora, OLB, St. Louis Rams, Idaho
2009, Pick 256: Ryan Succop, K, Kansas City Chiefs, South Carolina
2010, Pick 255: Tim Toone, WR, Detroit Lions, Weber State
2011, Pick 254: Cheta Ozougwu, DE, Houston Texans, Rice
2012, Pick 253: Chandler Harnish, QB, Indianapolis Colts, Northern Illinois
2013, Pick 254: Justice Cunningham, TE, Indianapolis Colts, South Carolina
2014, Pick 256: Lonnie Ballentine, S, Houston Texans, Memphis
2015, Pick 256: Gerald Christian, TE, Arizona Cardinals, Louisville
2016, Pick 253: Kalan Reed, DB, Tennessee Titans, Southern Miss
2017, Pick 253: Chad Kelly, QB, Denver Broncos, Ole Miss
2018, Pick 256: Trey Quinn, WR, Washington, SMU
2019, Pick 254: Caleb Wilson, TE, Arizona Cardinals, UCLA
2020, Pick 255: Tae Crowder, LB, New York Giants, Georgia
2021, Pick 259: Grant Stuart, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston
2022, Pick 262: Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers, Iowa State
2023, Pick 259: Desjuan Johnson, DE, Los Angeles Rams, Toledo
2024, Pick 257: Jaylen Key, DB, New York Jets, Alabama
2025, Pick 257: Kobee Minor, DB, New England Patriots, Memphis
2026, Pick 257: Red Murdock, LB, Denver Broncos, Buffalo
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who was Mr. Irrelevant 2026? Red Murdock is final pick of NFL draft
Source: “AOL Sports”
