Written by Chad Potier
April 17, 2010

Mr. Irrelevant? Maybe Not

The football world is filled this time of year with NFL Draft talk. From Scouts.com to Twitter, there are questions of who will go first; will team A trade up; will team B trade down; best available; or best fit. All are valid questions but I pose a different question; who will be Mr Irrelevant and is that title even appropriate?

"Mr. Irrelevant" is the title given to the last pick of the NFL Draft each year. Here's a look at the players given that title since 2000:

Year	Round	Pick	Player	Name	Team	Position	College
2009	7	47	256	Ryan Succop	Chiefs	K	South Carolina
2008	7	45	252	David Vobora	Rams	OLB	Idaho
2007	7	45	255	Ramzee Robinson	Lions	CB	Alabama
2006	7	47	255	Kevin McMahan	Raiders	WR	Maine
2005	7	41	255	Andy Stokes	Patriots	TE	William Penn
2004	7	54	255	Andre Sommersell	Raiders	LB	Colorado State
2003	7	48	262	Ryan Hoag	Raiders	WR	Gustavus Adolphus
2002	7	50	261	Ahmad Miller	Texans	DT	UNLV
2001	7	46	246	Tevita Ofahengaue	Cardinals	TE	Brigham Young
2000	7	48	254	Michael Green	Bears	DB	Northwestern State

Lat year's Mr. Irrelevant Ryan Succop, was anything but. He scored more points (104) than any other rookie in the NFL last year, and was second in Chiefs history for scoring by a rookie. On November 22, 2009, he kicked a 22-yard field goal in overtime to give the Chiefs a 27–24 win over the Steelers. Succop may be the exception however. Of the other nine players on the list, NONE are currently active in the NFL. Some have played, others have made practice squads. Other than Vobora's PED charges and Robinson's antics during the third quarter of the December 28, 2008 game he played for the Lions against the Packers, most are truly irrelevant.

As it stands now, the Lions have the 255th pick this year and we wait to see if Succop was the star of a new trend or just a lucky break for KC. Just remember, whether it's with the first pick or the 255th, these players are getting a chance to do what they have prepared for their whole lives', to play the game at the HIGHEST level there is. So I leave them with this...Good Luck, enjoy the ride.