Khalil ‘Red’ Murdock has taken the NFL’s unwanted ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ tag after being selected by the Denver Broncos with the very last pick of the 2026 Draft.
Denver had the final two selections in the seventh round of this year’s Draft, with the team first using the 256th and penultimate one on Utah tight end Dallen Bentley.
And with the 257th and final pick, the Broncos opted for Buffalo linebacker Murdock – making him the new Mr. Irrelevant.
The brutal nickname has been given to every final selection in the NFL Draft since 1976, when wide receiver Paul Salata founded ‘Irrelevant Week’ in order to shine a light on players who, like himself, enjoyed short and ‘irrelevant’ playing careers.
Most Mr. Irrelevant selections do not go on to have lucrative NFL careers, yet San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy – the 2022 Draft’s last pick – has gone on to prove an exception after becoming one of the NFL’s best signal callers.
Purdy was selected No 262 overall by the 49ers after an above-average college career at Iowa State, before reaching the Super Bowl as a starting quarterback in his second season.
Khalil ‘Red’ Murdock is the NFL’s new ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ after being picked 257th by the Broncos
The Buffalo linebacker was selected by Denver with the very last pick of the 2026 NFL Draft
Murdock set the NCAA record for career forced fumbles with 17 during his time in Buffalo
Murdock will hope to follow his lead and prove that Denver saved the best for last in this year’s Draft.
The 22-year-old had 142 total tackles, five sacks and six forced fumbles at Buffalo last season. He also recorded a career-high 156 total tackles and seven forced fumbles in 2024, which were the most ever by a player in a single season.
Despite being the NFL’s new Mr. Irrelevant, Murdock proved himself a highly-accomplished player in college after also setting the NCAA record for career forced fumbles with 17.
The Broncos, who are the defending AFC West champions, have bolstered their linebacker room despite possessing the second-best defense in the NFL last year.
Vance Joseph’s defense allowed just 278.2 yards per game last year, which was only beaten by the Houston Texans’ 277.2 yards, while also recording a league-high 68 sacks.
Before drafting Murdock, Denver also made some crucial moves at linebacker after re-signing Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad.
