Have the Chargers ever picked Mr. Irrelevant?

Washington Commanders v San Francisco 49ers
Washington Commanders v San Francisco 49ers / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages
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It is officially draft season and with the 2023 NFL Draft right around the corner, Chargers fans are attempting to solve the puzzle of who the team is going to pick with their latest Chargers mock drafts.

This year the NFL Draft is going to have a bit more juice toward the end. After the league watched the success story that was Brock Purdy, all eyes are going to be on Mr. Irrelevant — who is the last player taken in the entire draft.

The Houston Texans will have the honor of taking Mr. Irrelevant this season with the 259th pick. The Chargers' last pick in the draft is the 239th pick. Have the Chargers ever had the honor of taking Mr. Irrelevant and if so, was he as good as Purdy was for the 49ers in his first season?

The Chargers have drafted Mr. Irrelevant once

Yes, the Chargers have gotten the honor of taking Mr. Irrelevant in the past but he did not lead the Chargers to a Conference Championship like Purdy did for the 49ers in 2022.

The Chargers drafted Mr. Irrelevant just one time and it was in the 1986 NFL Draft. With the 333rd pick in the draft (which was in the 12th round!) the Bolts selected safety Mike Travis from Georgia Tech.

Not so surprisingly, Travis did not even make it to his first season with the team as he was cut before his rookie season began in 1986. Thus, the Chargers have drafted Mr. Irrelevant but they have never had Mr. Irrelevant on the roster. That is, except for their time in the AFL.

The Chargers' history with Mr. Irrelevant doesn't end with Mike Travis.

Jacque MacKinnon was taken with the 280th pick in the 1961 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, making him Mr. Irrelevant. However, he was also drafted 264th overall by the Chargers in the 1962 AFL Draft. MacKinnon signed with the Chargers instead.

MacKinnon spent nine years in San Diego, first as a fullback and then as a tight end. He was named a Pro Bowler in two of those nine seasons as he finished with 477 receiving yards in 1966 and 646 receiving yards in 1968. For a 1960s tight end, those were astronomical numbers.

While he didn't do it in the NFL, this makes MacKinnon one of two Mr. Irrelevants to make the Pro Bowl (or equivalent), joining Bill Kenney. Kenney was Mr. Irrelevant in 1978 as the 333rd overall pick to the Miami Dolphins. He made his lone Pro Bowl in 1983 with the Kansas City Chiefs.

So while the Chargers have never drafted a Mr. Irrelevant who then played on the team, they have one of the most decorated Mr. Irrelevants of all time in Jacque MacKinnon.

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