Last But Not Least: A Look Back at the Giants History with Mr. Irrelevant

Since the Giants, as of now, are in a position to draft "Mr. Irrelevant," let's look back at their history with players who were the last pick of the draft.

Thanks to the comp pick formula, the Giants are scheduled to hold the last pick in the draft, the pick commonly referred to as "Mr. Irrelevant."

According to the Sporting News, which tracked all the Mr. Irrelevant selections between 1976 and 2018, the Giants have twice held the very last pick in the draft, plus they ended up signing another Mr. Irrelevalent to their roster.

Here is the Giants' recent history with Mr. Irrelevant.

Running Back John Tuggle

The first Mr. Irrelevant known to be drafted by the Giants was running back John Tuggle, drafted in 1983 out of California in the 12th round (No. 335 overall).

Tuggle, who played just one season for the Giants, had 17 rushing attempts for 49 yards and three receptions for 50 yards after stepping in for the injured Rob Carpenter that season.

Tuggle was better known for his play on special teams; in 1983, he was named the franchise's Special Teams Player of the Year.

Sadly, tragedy befell Tuggle. The following year, he suffered a knee injury during minicamp requiring surgery. That off-season, he also noticed a small nodule behind his right shoulder that he initially thought was a calcium deposit.

At first, Tuggle wasn't concerned, but when the pain in shoulder began to intensify, he underwent a physical examination that included a biopsy on the nodule that turned out to be cancer.

Tuggle underwent surgery and chemotherapy, all the while trying to remain as involved with the Giants as his health and stamina would allow.

As his strength improved, he hoped to return to the game, but unfortunately, that didn't happen. In August 1986, at the age of 25, Tuggle lost his battle with cancer.

Quarterback Larry Wanke

The next time the Giants drafted "Mr. Irrelelvant" was in 1991. That year, quarterback Larry Wanke, who began his college career at Pittsburgh before transferring to John Carroll University.

Wanke was a 12th-round draft pick, No. 334 overall. But unlike Tuggle years before him, Wanke never made it into an NFL regular-season game, having a "blink and you'll miss it" type of career.

Fullback Jim Finn

The last time the Giants had Mr. Irrelelvant on their team was in 2003 when they signed fullback Jim Finn.

Finn, Mr. Irrelevant 1999, had initially been drafted by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round (pick no. 253) out of Penn.

Finn didn't make it onto the Bears' roster, but he did find a spot the following season with the Colts, for whom he played three seasons before signing with the Giants.

Finn appeared in 63 games with 42 starts for the Giants, serving as the lead blocker for Tiki Barber in 2005 when Barber recorded a franchise-record 1,860 yards that season, and then, after Barber retired, Brandon Jacobs.

Finn didn't get many opportunities to carry the rock as a Giant, recording just five carries for 21 yards, but he was a reliable receiver who, in his career, caught 61 out of 90 pass targets for 423 yards and one touchdown, 50 of those receptions coming as a Giant.

Alas, Finn's career was struck by misfortune. Before the 2007 season, he suffered a shoulder injury that landed him on injured reserve.

That year, the Giants picked up Madison Hedgecock off waivers from then-St. Louis Rams and Hedgecock went on to cement his place in the Giants offense until a back injury ended his career just before the start of there 2011 season.

The good news for Finn is that even though he didn't contribute on the field during the Giants' Super Bowl season, he did receive a ring.