Mr. Irrelevant: Los Angeles Rams select Desjuan Johnson with final pick in 2023 NFL Draft

Toledo defensive lineman Desjuan Johnson is Mr. Irrelevant. The Los Angeles Rams have selected the former Toledo star with the final pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

While he had to wait three days to hear his name called, he joins a group of players that have historically entered the NFL with a chip on their shoulder. Being the last pick can bring negative attention in some cases, but is now being celebrated after the immense success San Francisco 49ers QB and last year’s Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy enjoyed in 2022.

Purdy was the third-string quarterback for SF entering the season, but injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garrappolo forced him into the starting role late in the season. He went 5-0 as a starter during the regular season and become the fifth rookie QB in NFL history to lead his team to a conference championship game.

The origin of the name itself, Mr. Irrevelant, can be traced back to the 1976 NFL Draft, where former Baltimore Colts wide receiver Paul Salata coined the term during a celebration in Newport, California for Dayton wide receiver Kelvin Kirk, who was the final pick that year by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was selected 487th overall.

While it’s the most notable pick during the final day of the draft each year, numbers will tell us it’s not the best place to be drafted. Seventh-round draft choices face an uphill battle to make a roster to begin with and throughout history, only around 30 percent of them have ever seen action during a regular season NFL game.

Notable Mr. Irrelevants throughout NFL history

Aside from Purdy, the most notable — and most successful — Mr. Irrelevant in NFL history is surprisingly a placekicker.

Ryan Succop, who was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs with the last pick of the 2009 NFL Draft. He went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL across three organizations including the Chiefs, Tennessee Titans and finally the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won a Super Bowl with the team in 2021.

He is the first and only former Mr. Irrelevant to play and win a Super Bowl as a starter and an active player.

Historically, former Chicago Bears defensive back Michael Green was drafted out of Northwestern State in 2000 and went on to be a two-year starter for the Bears and posted 434 career tackles. Linebackers Marty Moore and David Vobora were also respectable additions to their teams throughout their career.

As for current players, Purdy is by far the most notable, but Pittsburgh Steelers LB Tae Crowder has the most complete body of work out of any Mr. Irrelevant in the league today. While playing for the New York Giants in 2021, he posted a team-high 130 tackles.