Ranking the 5 best 'Mr. Irrelevants' in NFL Draft history, from Ryan Succop to David Vobora

It's not for the faint of heart.

The NFL Draft is a long and arduous process for most. For the nation's top collegiate prospects, the dream of playing in the NFL is so tantalizingly close. All they have to do is wait.

But what if that wait takes hours? How about days? What does it look like? What does it feel like? Is it tears streaming down an NFL hopeful's face, the realization that the dream has finally been accomplished? Is it unfettered joy, marked by a glare or a smile or a fist bump or a hug?

This is what makes Mr. Irrelevant, the name billed to the NFL Draft's last pick, so central to our collective consciousness. We love an underdog in the United States, that much is true. Who is a bigger underdog than the guy who has to wait three full days to hear his name called?

The term, "Mr. Irrelevant" was coined by former Baltimore Colts receiver Paul Salata. Salata, despite being selected in the 10th round of the 1951 NFL Draft (back when the draft had 30 rounds), decided to hold a celebration in Newport, California, for the final pick in the 1976 draft. The inaugural Mr. Irrelevant was Dayton wide receiver Kelvin Kirk, taken by the Steelers with the 487th pick. The rest, as they say, is history.

It's not a glamorous position to be in, admittedly. Most players selected with the last pick in the NFL draft don't amount to anything of note in the league. According to the Washington Post's Neil Greenberg, nearly 30 percent of the league's "Mr. Irrelevants" never play a game in the NFL.

Yet, there are those who have made their mark. It's a fairly short list, but there are some players who have pivotal roles on Super Bowl winning sides. Others have had lengthy NFL careers. One even put up a gaudy numbers last year.

With that being said, Sporting News ranks the five best Mr. Irrelevants based on their contributions over the course of their career.

1. Ryan Succop, Kicker

How many rankings list start with a kicker? Succop is easily the most-decorated final pick in NFL history. The former Gamecock was taken by the Chiefs in the 2009 draft.

He was a Super Bowl champion with the Bucs back in 2020, nailing a 52-yard field goal in the process. Succop is poised to enter his 14th season in the NFL. He's hit 289 of his 348 field goal attempts for an 83 percent field goal conversion rate, the 35th-best rate in NFL history, according to Pro Football Reference.

An easy choice for No. 1.

2. Michael Green, Safety/Cornerback

Green was a steady, if unspectacular defensive back who spent six years with the Bears, the team that took him with 254th and final pick in 2000 from Northwestern State. Green broke into the team as a second-year player and went on to spend two years as the Bears full-time starter at his position. He didn't have the impact of perennial Pro Bowlers Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher, but with a career stat line of 434 tackles, four interceptions and seven forced fumbles, Green was a consistent option in the secondary.

3. Tae Crowder, Linebacker

It's very possible Crowder takes the mantle as greatest all-time Mr. Irrelevant in the coming few years. Despite earning Butkus Award consideration during his final season at Georgia, Crowder wasn't expected to make a huge mark when the Giants took him with the last pick of the 2020 draft.

However, Crowder was reunited with former Bulldogs linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer during his rookie season. He put up decent numbers as a rookie, breaking through to start six games toward the tail end of the season. Last year was his true breakout campaign, though; Crowder led the Giants in tackles (130) and started all 17 games, accruing an Approximate Value (AV) rating of 9. Approximate Value is Pro Football Reference's answer to WAR, a metric used to determine a players year-by-year value. The higher the number, the better the player is.

For comparison, Succop's AV across his entire 13-year career is 36. Crowder is well on his way to moving up the list if he keeps this pace up.

4. Marty Moore, Linebacker

Another linebacker, huzzah! Moore was a decent depth piece for the Bill Parcells' Patriot teams of the mid-90s. He didn't get many snaps, accruing just 83 tackles in 96 games with the Pats. However, Moore put up a career-high 90 tackles and four forced fumbles with the Browns in 2000, and won a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots back in 2001 — despite playing just three games that season.

5. David Vobora, Linebacker

We close our list out with another linebacker. Vobora, an Idaho alum, was taken by the Rams with the last pick of the 2008 NFL Draft. Vobora played in parts of three seasons for the Rams before rounding his career up with the Seahawks. He wasn't an exceptional talent by any means, but he did start 10 games for St. Louis in 2009. His stats that year? Forty-six tackles (four for loss), two pass deflections and a forced fumble.

List of Mr. Irrelevants