Red Murdock's Last Pick: How Mr. Irrelevant Became the Draft's Most Talked-About Name

The Denver Broncos selected Buffalo linebacker Red Murdock with the 262nd and final pick of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 25, making him this year's Mr. Irrelevant — a label that has, over the past decade, shed much of its original sting.

Murdock, who starred for the University at Buffalo Bulls, departs as one of the most decorated defenders in program history. He leaves with the school record for career tackles and a reputation built across four seasons of high-intensity play in the Mid-American Conference. The Broncos are gambling that those credentials translate, even if the draft capital — none, essentially — says otherwise to the rest of the NFL world.

The Mr. Irrelevant tradition dates to 1976, when the final pick of that year's draft was formally bestowed the title by a sports writer in Newport Beach. It has since grown into a cottage industry: mock drafts dedicated to predicting the final selection, a week-long ceremony in Irvine, California called Irrelevant Week that raises funds for charity, and a surprising number of former Mr. Irrelevants who have carved out meaningful NFL careers.

Murdock joins a list that includes several players who, despite the satirical framing, have gone on to start games and contribute at meaningful levels. The designation has become something of a Rorschach test for how the league values late-round or undrafted talent — whether it reflects genuine skepticism about a player's ceiling or simply the luck of the draft board.

The Buffalo Legacy

Murdock's journey to the final pick is inseparable from his time at Buffalo. He arrived as a three-star recruit in 2022 and left as the program's all-time leading tackler — a distinction that came not from longevity alone but from consistent, high-volume production across every phase of the game.

Coaches at Buffalo described Murdock as a student of the position, a player who approached preparation with unusual discipline for someone his age. That reputation preceded him into pre-draft workouts, where multiple scouting reports described him as technically sound but limited in the explosive testing numbers that drive early-round selections.

The Broncos, picking last, opted for that technical foundation over measurables. It is a profile that fits the broader tendency of certain franchises — those less bound by the consensus board — to take late-round fliers on players whose film outpaces their numbers.

The Irrelevant Calculus

The Mr. Irrelevant label has always carried a built-in contradiction. The NFL drafts 262 players. The last one is not meaningfully different, in any measurable sense, from the 261 players selected ahead of him. What changes is the framing — the language attached to a name, and how that language shapes expectations.

Players drafted late often speak of the moment as simultaneously humiliating and clarifying. The league has told them, in the most public way possible, that their services were not in high demand. That messaging has consequences: fewer guaranteed dollars, lower profile positions, less margin for early mistakes. And yet the NFL's own history contains a graveyard of early-round picks who failed to meet expectations alongside late-round contributors who exceeded theirs.

Murdock enters that environment with a two-year sample size of consistent performance against the level of competition the MAC provides. Whether that translates to an NFL roster depends on the usual variables — health, scheme fit, development — but the Broncos, for whatever the final pick is worth, are betting yes.

The Franchise Context

Denver's decision to use its final selection on a linebacker fits a pattern the organization has followed in recent drafts. The Broncos have increasingly targeted players with college production metrics over combine metrics, a philosophy that has produced mixed results but has become identifiable as their draft personality.

For Murdock, the immediate question is not whether he can become a starter but whether he can earn a roster spot at all. Mr. Irrelevant has historically carried a lower retention rate than seventh-round picks in the middle of the board — teams that pick last often do so because the board has thinned considerably. But the Broncos' recent history suggests at least a willingness to give late picks a genuine look.

What remains unclear is the degree to which Murdock's Buffalo production will survive the transition to NFL speed and complexity. The MAC has produced multiple NFL starters, but the jump from conference play to professional competition is where most late-round selections are sorted into career paths.

What Lies Ahead

Murdock will report to the Broncos' offseason program with a low bar to clear and an unusual amount of name recognition for a player drafted last. Mr. Irrelevant has, in the social media era, become something closer to a brand — one that creates opportunities beyond what the draft position itself would suggest.

Whether he takes advantage of those opportunities is the only question that ultimately matters. The Broncos have made their bet. The rest is Murdock's to answer.

This desk's coverage of the draft prioritised the franchise context and player legacy over the novelty framing that typically dominates Mr. Irrelevant coverage.

Wire provenance

This editorial synthesis draws on the following public wire/social posts:

• http://reut.rs/4u4MYm9