Red Murdock just became "Mr. Irrelevant." That's the official title given to the final pick in the NFL Draft—the 262nd selection, the one that closes out draft coverage and sends everyone to the parking lot. The Denver Broncos made that pick on Buffalo LB Murdock, and while the honor comes with a tongue-in-cheek name, it's worth asking: what does the Broncos' evaluation tell us about linebacker value in 2026?
The fact that a former Power Five linebacker fell all the way to the last pick says everything about how this draft class shook out at the position. Teams had chances to grab Murdock earlier. They didn't. That's not because he's incompetent—NFL-caliber athletes don't reach that stage by accident. It's because the market has fundamentally shifted. Linebacker is no longer a premium draft currency. Teams are investing earlier picks in edge rushers, safeties who can move around, and hybrid defenders who fit modern spread schemes. A traditional, line-of-scrimmage linebacker? You can find that guy late, or even undrafted.
Here in New England, Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf have built a linebacker room with serious depth: Otis Reese IV, Marte Mapu, Chad Muma, K'Lavon Chaisson, Anfernee Jennings, and Harold Landry III among others. That's not accident either. But notice the mix—a balance of coverage ability, edge pass rush upside, and traditional thumpers. The Broncos taking Murdock as a last-round flyer doesn't change our evaluation of what we've built. If anything, it reinforces the message that linebacker talent can be unearthed anywhere if you know what you're looking for.
The Patriots should view this as validation, not threat. Vrabel understands linebacker evaluation better than most coaches in football. He's not reaching for positional need in round three. He's stocking depth with functional football players who fit scheme. Murdock might become a practice squad regular, or he might surprise people. Either way, the Patriots' linebacker infrastructure—built with intentionality across multiple rounds and free agency—is structured to win games right now, not hedge bets on draft lottery tickets.
Based on reporting from ESPN NFL.