Every April, the NFL Draft ends the same way - with a moment that's equal parts humor and heart. The last pick. Mr. Irrelevant. The player who closes the book on the entire draft class. In 2026, that distinction belongs to Red Murdock, the linebacker out of Buffalo selected 257th overall by the Buffalo Bills.

Don't let the number fool you. This kid is anything but irrelevant.

A Record Nobody Saw Coming

Murdock - full name Khalil Elijah Murdock, nicknamed "Red" since birth for his red hair, fair skin, and freckles - didn't just play college football at the University at Buffalo. He owned it.

In 2024, he posted 156 tackles, the highest single-season mark of his career and one of the top tackle totals in all of FBS. He followed that up with 142 tackles in 2025, cementing himself as one of the most consistent and productive defenders in the country.

But the number that truly defines his legacy? 17 career forced fumbles - a new all-time NCAA record, surpassing the previous mark of 16 held by another Bull who went on to become a perennial All-Pro: Khalil Mack. Yes, that Khalil Mack. Murdock didn't just follow in Mack's footsteps at Buffalo - he surpassed him.

The Accolades Back It Up

The hardware followed the production:

  • Second-Team All-American (2025)
  • First-Team All-MAC (2024 & 2025)

These aren't participation trophies. These are legitimate distinctions earned against real competition, from a player who did it for four years running.

The Road Nobody Wanted to Pave

Here's the part that makes this story hit different.

Murdock came out of high school with zero stars and zero Division I offers. Not a few. Zero. The kind of recruiting profile that most players never recover from. He enrolled at Fork Union Military Academy for a post-grad year - the football version of starting over - and earned his one shot: a walk-on opportunity at Buffalo.

He took that one shot and turned it into a record-breaking, award-winning, draft-worthy career. That's not a Cinderella story. That's just work.

More Than a Football Player

Off the field, Murdock graduated magna cum laude with a degree in psychology - because apparently breaking NCAA records and earning All-American honors wasn't enough to fill his schedule. He also founded Virginia Homework Helpers, a free K-12 tutoring program that provides academic support to students in his home state.

Let that sink in for a moment. The kid who had no offers, who had to earn everything the hard way, is now giving back to kids who might be in that same position.

What Mr. Irrelevant Is Supposed to Look Like

The title of Mr. Irrelevant is meant to be lighthearted. A celebration of the draft's final selection. But every few years, a player comes along who makes you rethink the label entirely.

Red Murdock holds an NCAA record. He was a two-time All-MAC performer and an All-American. He graduated at the top of his class and built a nonprofit before his NFL career even started. He did all of this after no school wanted him.

The Bills didn't take a flier on a name at pick 257. They took a football player - one who has spent his entire career proving that the number next to your name means nothing compared to what you put on tape.

Mr. Irrelevant? Not a chance.