List of every Mr. Irrelevant ever drafted by 49ers

Brock Purdy has taken the NFL world by storm, but what other Mr. Irrelevant players have been drafted by the 49ers?

For what it's worth, "Mr. Irrelevant" should no longer be a thing during the NFL Draft.

The moniker given to the final pick of the draft is kind of outdated. Especially considering the number of seventh-round picks and even undrafted free agents who make the absolute most of their opportunities and turn into quality pro football players.

That said, the tradition of the moniker is pretty fun. The last-drafted player does become some sort of minor celebrity, even if his pro career ultimately winds up being underwhelming.

As for the San Francisco 49ers, they were aided by the rise of star quarterback Brock Purdy, the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft who took the league by storm late his rookie season and emerged as a finalist for NFL MVP the following season, setting plenty of records along the way.

Purdy underlines the point that, while on the rarer side, late-drafted and undrafted players can still make a big impression at the pro level despite whatever draft pedigree they hold.

Including Purdy, what other Mr. Irrelevant players have been drafted by the Niners over the years?

Each Mr. Irrelevant drafted by the 49ers

Starting in 1976 when the moniker was created, there have been a total of four Mr. Irrelevant players drafted by San Francisco since that year.

Year	Player	School
1982	DB Tim Washington	Fresno State
1985	DT Donald Chumley	Georgia
1996	LB Sam Manuel	New Mexico State
2022	QB Brock Purdy	Iowa State

QB Brock Purdy

Purdy's star is still on the rise after setting a franchise record with 4,280 passing yards in 2023 and leading the NFL with 9.6 yards per attempt and a passer rating of 113.0.

Additionally, Purdy tied a record held by Hall of Famer Kurt Warner as the only quarterbacks who had at least three games with a minimum of three touchdowns thrown and a 140-plus passer rating over their first two seasons in the league.

While Purdy is unquestionably aided by star talent surrounding him within the context of a potent offense under head coach Kyle Shanahan, achieving that success still requires proper decision-making skills and execution.

Purdy has thrived in both aspects.

LB Sam Manuel

Manuel spent his rookie season on the 49ers practice squad but was effectively out of the NFL the following season, never seeing time in a regular-season game over his career.

Instead, Manuel took his talents to NFL Europe in 1998 and even had a stint in the XFL back in 2001 when he was a member of the San Francisco Demons.

DT Donald Chumley

Like Manuel, Chumley failed to make the Niners' regular-season roster his rookie season but wasn't ultimately named to the practice squad (notably smaller back in the 1980s and sometimes referred to as the "taxi squad."

In response to his failed attempt to stick around in the NFL, Chumley headed north of the border and spent the 1985 season in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders.

DB Tim Washington

Washington is the only other player aside from Purdy who ever saw action in the NFL after being selected by San Francisco as Mr. Irrelevant.

That said, Washington's tenure with the 49ers was exceptionally brief after being the final pick of the 1982 draft.

He was on the field for just one game with the Niners and didn't crack the stat sheet before being waived early his rookie season. Washington subsequently signed on with the Kansas City Chiefs not long thereafter and saw action in one game for KC before being waived the following August.