Brock Purdy is the latest “Mr. Irrelevant” despite playing the most relevant position in football.
The Iowa State quarterback earned that tag by being the 262nd and final selection of this year’s seven-round NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday in Las Vegas.
“For me, I’m looking at it as ‘I got my foot in the door,'” Purdy told San Francisco-area reporters of being the final pick.
Purdy set school records of 12,170 passing yards and 81 touchdowns with the Cyclones but was downgraded due to his 6-foot height and average arm strength.
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan identified something important during the evaluation process.
“He knows how to play the position well,” Shanahan told reporters.
The last pick receives more attention than any other seventh-round selection and the notoriety reaches its zenith when the player travels to Southern California to be honored during Irrelevant Week. Among the festivities is the awarding of the “Lowsman Trophy.”
The creator of Mr. Irrelevant, former NFL receiver Paul Salata, died at age 94 in October. Salata began the tradition in 1976.
The final selection of the 2021 NFL Draft was Houston linebacker Grant Stuard, who primarily played on special teams for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season.