The final pick of the NFL Draft isn't usually an exciting one, but the Broncos added some spice to it by taking one of the most interesting prospects in the draft: Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly.
Kelly, who happens to be the nephew of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, officially became Mr. Irrelevant on Saturday when Denver selected him with the 253rd and final pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.
The pick means that he'll be going to a team run by a guy (John Elway) who his uncle knows well. Both Kelly and Elway were selected in the famous quarterback-heavy draft of 1983 -- Elway with the No. 1 pick by the Baltimore Colts and Kelly at No. 14 by the Bills.
Although Chad Kelly is talented, his stock seemed to drop pretty much every week in the months leading up to the draft due to various red flags. Back in February, Kelly was just one of two prospects -- along with Joe Mixon -- who had their invitation to the NFL Combine rescinded due to off-the-field issues.
Kelly also had a setback on the field back in early April when he injured his wrist at Ole Miss' Pro Day. The injury to Kelly's throwing wrist will likely keep him out at least two more months, which means that the Broncos likely won't see him on the field until training camp begins in July.
The former Rebel quarterback spent two seasons at Ole Miss after being kicked off Clemson's football team in 2014 for "conduct detrimental to the team.
The upside for the Broncos though is that Kelly, despite being the final pick in the draft, might end up being the most talented quarterback on their roster once he gets some NFL experience under him.
The fact that Kelly was the final pick wasn't a huge shock, most projections had Kelly going in the sixth or seventh round of the draft. As it turned out, Kelly waited so long to be drafted that he actually fell asleep during the sixth round.
That's how I felt watching the sixth round, too, Chad.
For Kelly, there is an upside to being the final pick in the draft. Being Mr. Irrelevant means you get to do something the other 252 draft picks don't get to do: You get a free trip to Newport Beach, California.
That's right, being Mr. Irrelevant is actually kind of amazing.
Since 1976, the last pick in the draft has had a week devoted to him in Southern California. Sometime in June, Kelly will make the trip to Newport Beach to launch 'Irrelevant Week.'
The week involves an arrival party, a trip to Disney Land and a the chance to attend a Major League Baseball game where Kelly will be recognized. The week then ends with the Lowsman Ceremony where Kelly will be roasted and toasted by various sports stars and celebrities, according to the Irrelevant Week website.
What 22-year-old wouldn't want those things?
Anyway, Kelly is the first quarterback to be named Mr. Irrelevant since 2012, when the Colts selected Chandler Harnish out of Northern Illinois. Before that, a quarterback hadn't been taken with the final pick of the draft since 1997 when the Packers closed the draft by taking Ronnie McAda out of Army.
