One of the biggest stories from the first two rounds of the NFL draft was the lack of quarterbacks being selected. Only one went in the first two rounds.
It was a bit funny that the 2022 NFL draft ended with a quarterback pick.
The 49ers owned the final pick, 262nd overall. It was an equalizing selection, one of nine additional selections made at the end of round seven. They took Iowa state quarterback Brock Purdy.
Purdy threw for 3,188 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season. He completed 71.7 percent of his passes, an impressive number. Purdue had 12,170 passing yards and 81 passing touchdowns in his career, both school records. Purdy isn’t the most impressive physical specimen and that’s why he wasn’t picked to the end, but he was a good college quarterback. Purdy was a first-team All-Big 12 twice, by the Coaches in 2020 and then by the Associated Press in 2021.
ESPN’s Rece Davis said before the election that a Mr. Irrelevant had never thrown an NFL pass. Maybe Purdy can change that.
Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy (15) was the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft, known as Mr. Irrelevant. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Mr. Irrelevants had NFL success
Last year’s Mr. Irrelevant had a nice rookie season. The last draft pick last year was Houston linebacker Grant Stuard, who went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Stuard was a first-team all-conference player in his final collegiate season after leading the Cougars with 61 tackles.
Stuard won a roster spot at Tampa Bay. He played in all 17 games and made 15 tackles with a forced fumble. He was a regular Special Teams player and played 311 Special Teams Snaps as a rookie. He also played both of Tampa Bay’s playoff games with three special teams. This is good input for final design selection.
The 2020 Mr. Irrelevant was another good choice. Linebacker Tae Crowder was selected by the New York Giants and started six games as a rookie. He started all 17 games last season and had 130 tackles and two interceptions. This is a fantastic production from a Mr. Irrelevant.
The story goes on
Other final picks have had solid careers. One of the best was kicker Ryan Succop, the Mr. Irrelevant of 2009 who’s still in the NFL. He has spent the last two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won a Super Bowl two seasons ago. He was the first Mr. Irrelevant to score in a Super Bowl. He turns 36 this season and is still on the Tampa Bay roster.
Just because you had to wait until final draft picks to hear your name doesn’t mean you can’t have a great NFL career.
A week of Mr. Irrelevant ceremonies
It’s a lot of fun to be the last choice of design. Each year, the final draft selection is celebrated for a week in Newport Beach, California. In 2020 Mr. Irrelevant ceremonies were canceled due to COVID-19. Last year Stuard was traveling around California attending the Lowsman Banquet and taking surfing lessons.
It’s an accomplishment to even get drafted by the NFL, whether it’s the first or last pick of a draft. Some of the recent draft final picks have performed well in the NFL. Purdy faces more obstacles to becoming a contributor in the NFL than either Stuard or Crowder. The 49ers drafted Trey Lance third overall just a year ago.
But Purdy is in the NFL. And he joins a rather fun list as Mr. Irrelevant.