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Being named "Mr. Irrelevant," as the final pick in the NFL draft is called, has to be considered the ultimate consolation prize in sports. Mr. Irrelevant not only gets a chance to make an NFL roster, he gets to be the guest of honor at Irrelevant Week -- a week of festivities in Orange County, Calif., which includes a golf tournament, parade, regatta and a roast (which I never get invited to participate in -- probably for the better). And yes, it should be mentioned that this year's Mr. Irrelevant has been offered another, uh, reward. But the real question here is, are these guys any good? You might be surprised to know there have been some success stories, even stretching back to when the draft included more than seven rounds. Here are the six best of all time.
And without further ado ...
The New Orleans Saints selected Walker, a Providence hoops player, with the final pick of the 1967 draft, even though he never played football in college. Walker stuck with basketball, and went on to be a two-time all-star with the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings. Walker is also the biological father of Jalen Rose.
Vobora became a starting linebacker for the St. Louis Rams as a rookie in 2008. Vobora was selected to start again in 2009, but he was suspended for four games for violating the NFL's performance enhancing substance policy. He was released by St. Louis and spent the 2011 season with Seattle.
Finn, a fullback, has shared a backfield with both Manning brothers, as a member of the Indianapolis Colts (2000-02) and New York Giants (2003-06).
Moore had a pretty long NFL career, playing eight seasons at linebacker with the Patriots and Cleveland Browns (for one season). Moore has the distinction of being the first Mr. Irrelevant to play in a Super Bowl (XXXI).
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Ryan Succop
Succop has been a huge success for the Kansas City Chiefs since his rookie season in 2009, when he tied an NFL record by completing 86.2 percent of his kicks. Succop has continued to thrive, recently signing an extension with the Chiefs.
The Chiefs also struck gold when they selected Kenney with the 333rd pick in the 1978 draft. Kenney's best season came in 1983, when he set a club record with 4,348 passing yards and was selected to the Pro Bowl. Kenney, however, would not duplicate those numbers again; injuries eventually forced him to cede the starting job to Todd Blackledge.
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