With the 225th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder. And just like that, the three-day virtual event was officially over. The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder was the last pick and instantly became known as "Mr. Irrelevant" for 2020.
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For the past two years, however, Crowder has been anything but irrelevant in Athens. He played in all 28 games for the Bulldogs, racked up 115 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss, with two interceptions, seven pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
You have all of #DawgNation behind you, @TaeCrowder !! Congrats! pic.twitter.com/dUCBfTV9LZ
— Coach Kirby Smart (@KirbySmartUGA) April 25, 2020
Although he was far from the best Georgia football player in this year's draft, and ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. gave him a free agent grade, he heard his named called and could finally celebrate the hard work paying off.
Tae Crowder as "Mr. Irrelevant"
Welcome to Big Blue, Tae Crowder!
Mr. I̶r̶relevant
📺: 2020 #NFLDraft NFLN/ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/SwUPAHQ72y
— New York Giants (@Giants) April 25, 2020
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Tae Crowder was the final pick of the first virtual draft in league history. There's no doubt it will be a trivia question one day. Unlike several players before him, this year's Mr. Irrelevant definitely has a chance to make the Giants roster.
A Pine Mountain, Georgia, native and former Harris County High School standout, Crowder was initially a running back who converted to being one of the best linebackers in college football. In 2019, he was one of 12 semifinalists for the Butkus Award and helped the Georgia Bulldogs have the best scoring defense in the nation.
Crowder joins offensive tackle Andrew Thomas (New York Giants), offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson (Tennessee Titans), running back D'Andre Swift (Detroit Lions), offensive lineman Solomon Kindley (Miami Dolphins), quarterback Jake Fromm (Buffalo Bills), and tight end Charlie Woerner (San Francisco 49ers) as former Dawgs selected in this year's draft.
From first-round to seventh-round picks, Georgia was well-represented once again.
The History of Mr. Irrelevant
The final selection of every NFL Draft is known as Mr. Irrelevant, and its history dates back to 1976.
Thanks to former USC and NFL wide receiver Paul Salata, being the final pick and named Mr. Irrelevant is not as bad as it sounds. In fact, it's actually quite nice and full of perks.
Over the summer, Mr. Irrelevant gets to take part in "Irrelevant Week" festivities. It includes a week-long paid vacation to Newport Beach, California, where the player is awarded the Lowsman Trophy, a banquet, and even a trip to Disneyland if the family wants to go.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and COVID-19 outbreak, those plans might change for Georgia's Tae Crowder, but there's no doubt something will be done to honor his pick.
There have been some successful Mr. Irrelevant draft picks in the past. Marty Moore played in a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, fullback Jim Finn got a ring with the Giants, Mike Green and David Vobora were key defensive players for the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams, respectively, and kicker Ryan Succop started for the Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans.
So while many poke fun at the rookie who got picked last — such last season's Mr. Irrelevant Caleb Wilson (Arizona Cardinals) — it's actually an honor and is much more historic than many players who get selected and never pan out.
After all, who wouldn't want a paid vacation?
