With the 262nd and thus last draft pick, the San Francisco 49ers select quarterback talent Brock Purdy – helping him to the controversial title of “Mr. Irrelevant” 2022.

Munich – Every tradition is open to debate.

And so there are also customs in the NFL that can be critically eyed from time to time. One of them is the notorious “Mr. Irrelevant”. This is the name given annually to the player selected by the team with the last draft pick.

This year, this “honour” was bestowed on the San Francisco 49ers. With the 262nd pick, the franchise from California finally selected quarterback Brock Purdy.

Relevant: @CycloneFB quarterback @brockpurdy13 is headed to The Bay.NFLDraft x 49ersDraft pic. twitter.com/tPU7kOtqPU

– San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) April 30, 2022

Brock Purdy: This is Mr. Irrelevant 2022

The 22-year-old was a four-year starter in college for the Iowa State Cyclones, serving as a starter for three years. Over his entire time in college, the playmaker totaled 12,170 passing yards, 81 touchdowns and 33 interceptions in 46 games – decent numbers, but not of the caliber to make one of the top quarterbacks in the draft class.

Experts from the “NFL Network” rate Purdy as a very accurate passer who gets the ball out of his hands extremely quickly. His zone reads also show great composure in the pocket. Iowa State coach Matt Campbell also said he has strong leadership skills that he can bring to the NFL level, he told the NFL Network;

Still, even some experts were surprised by the 49ers’ pick, after all, the quarterback position is already in steady hands for years to come with last year’s first-round pick Trey Lance.

Purdy at 49ers: long-term project of Kyle Shanahan?

But it’s not just Lance who is currently ahead of Purdy on the depth chart, veteran Nate Sudfeld is also firmly pencilled in as a backup for the upcoming season. Additionally, longtime starter Jimmy Garoppolo is still on the roster.

Although the 49ers want to get rid of the 30-year-old in a trade this offseason, the Bay Area has apparently not yet received the right offer. If this does not change, general manager John Lynch has not ruled out using “Jimmy G” as a luxury backup for the 2022 season.

Therefore, the question arises with which intentions Head Coach Kyle Shanahan and Co. made Purdy “Mr. Irrelevant” in 2022. One possible approach: Purdy’s style of play resembles that of starter Lance, and not just because of his height. So he could present himself as a “similar” quarterback to Lance in preparation for the new season, so that the rest of the offensive players don’t have to adjust in the course of individual practices.

So the pick should be seen more as a long-term project by Shanahan, who can mould another quarterback within his system – and who knows, maybe the new “Mr. Irrelevant” will develop into a seasoned NFL player too? Kicker Ryan Succop of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could even be crowned Super Bowl champion in 2021 as a former “Mr. Irrelevant”.

“Mr. Irrelevant”: nice gesture or outrageous hype?

The last pick of the year is always very popular with the Americans. For this one beckons a whole series of goodies in addition to media attention. Since 1976, it has gone so far that even the “Irrelevant Week” is celebrated. The “founder” is former 49ers and Colts receiver Paul Salata, who first organised the series of events in 1976. “Mr. Irrelevant” and his family are then invited to spend the week in Newport Beach.

The programme includes a visit to “Disney Land” as well as several charity activities. What sounds like a nice gag at first glance also brings its problems on the other side. This year, Purdy will also receive the so-called “Lowsman” Trophy – a not seriously meant counterpart to the “Heisman” Trophy, the award for the best player in the respective college year.

Whether it is still necessary in this day and age to expose a young adult to such high public pressure – and to celebrate the selection of the officially “worst” player in the respective draft year in this way – is debatable.

On the other hand, Brock Purdy will of course be happy that he was drafted at all and does not have to earn a place in the NFL as an undrafted free agent like countless other talents. However, whether this has to be flaunted with the principle of “Mr. Irrelevant” remains questionable.