Washington Redskins WR Trey Quinn is anything but “Mr. Irrelevant”

With the No. 256 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins select SMU wide receiver Trey Quinn as “Mr. Irrelevant”.

But don’t tell Trey Quinn.

When the Washington Redskins traded for the No. 197 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, with which they would ultimately select Alabama linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton, they received the No. 256 pick as compensation in a seventh-round pick swap.

The last pick in the draft is never viewed as anything more than a storyline. It is a juncture where all of the talent seeping through the cracks settles at a reservoir. And the last team remaining can pluck their choice from the masses. The Washington Redskins choice was SMU wide receiver Trey Quinn. He was announced as “Mr. Irrelevant”, represented by a red jersey sporting the No. 256.

Founded in 1976 by philanthropist Paul Salata, the Mr. Irrelevant festivities have given brief spells of fame to forty-two draft picks and counting. The prospects are given a short ceremony in their honor at the end of the draft, and later that year, in the summer, they are invited to enjoy themselves under the warm California sun in Newport Beach. They golf, they talk, they take advice. And often, after three years, they are out of the league. The most esteemed member of the Irrelevant family is Titans’ kicker Ryan Succop. After that, it’s a steep drop to former Bears defensive back Michael Green. Then? Chad Kelly.

There are often reasons that a player drops to No. 256. Reasons that may render a player irrelevant against the canvas of the NFL Stage. But there is a difference between being irrelevant and being overlooked. Trey Quinn is an unforgivable case of the latter.

Overshadowed by SMU draft darling Courtland Sutton, Quinn was quietly the more reliable receiver for the Mustangs. In 2017, Quinn amassed 114 catches, 1,236 yards, and thirteen touchdowns as the Mustangs’ “other” wide receiver. A smooth route runner with hands that simply don’t drop a pass, Quinn has the talent to safely make the roster, and with his skill set, he could potentially replace Jamison Crowder as the team’s slot receiver next year, if Crowder’s price tag proves to be too steep.

Quinn joins the Irrelevant family as an orphan. Unwilling to take on the name. Forgotten amidst the flood of talent in the 2018 NFL Draft were Quinn’s modest, but dependable ways. The receiver is not flashy. But he can get the job done. Plain and simple. You won’t often find a wide receiver with Quinn’s hands, Quinn’s route running ability, and Quinn’s polish at the No. 256 pick.

And why not?

Because those players are not irrelevant.

What should be deemed the cause of Trey Quinn’s baffling fall to the Washington Redskins? Mass negligence? Clashing needs? Whatever the case, the Washington Redskins’ No. 256 pick is far from irrelevant. Trey Quinn will make his case to occupy a spot on the roster from day one. He has the motivation. To rise above the mantle that has been forced upon him.

Next: Grading the Washington Redskins Day 3 picks

“Mr. Irrelevant”. Never has a name been so misleading.