FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots selected Memphis cornerback Kobee Minor with the final pick of the NFL draft Saturday, and Minor said the Mr. Irrelevant moniker that comes with the pick fits him well.
“To me, I love it because I’ve never been a highly recruited guy, I’ve never been a top guy,” he said after hearing his name called with the 257th selection. “It’s just adds fuel to my fire.”
Minor, who grew up in Dallas, was a three-star prospect out of high school who began his college career at Texas Tech (2020 to 2022) before playing one season apiece at Indiana (2023) and Memphis (2024). In 44 collegiate games, he has 80 tackles, two sacks, 12 passes defended and two forced fumbles.
The 22-year-old might have nearly slipped out of the NFL draft, but he was always on the Patriots’ radar. He said New England was the only NFL team to host him on a visit leading up to the draft, and team officials said Minor made a positive impression on them.
Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said Minor might have been overlooked by some as a double transfer who also was slowed by a hamstring injury during the season and later at Memphis’ pro day.
The Patriots didn’t enter the draft with the final pick, but made a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs to acquire it. The deal sent the Patriots’ seventh-round pick (228) to the Chiefs in exchange for two seventh-round selections (251 and 257).
“Kobee was a guy our scouts that went into Memphis this year got on early,” Wolf said. “The movement skills at practice, the ability to play the football in the air and his competitiveness … he was a guy we had some affinity for. Mr. Irrelevant will be a pretty cool experience for him, and we were excited to be able to add him.”
This marks the third time the Patriots made the last pick of the NFL draft, followed by linebacker Marty Moore (1994, No. 222) and tight end Andy Stokes (2005, No. 255). Moore’s 112 games played are the second most by a Mr. Irrelevant in the common draft era (since 1967), behind only kicker Ryan Succop’s 216.
As the last pick, Minor will take part in Irrelevant Week in Newport Beach, California, an annual tradition launched in 1976 by NFL alum Paul Salata that celebrates the message that it’s not negative to be picked last but an honor to simply be selected.
Minor spent Saturday at his Dallas-area home with his family wondering about his football future.
“I was waiting all day and ended up getting that call. My heart was racing. … I’m just glad they took a chance on me,” he said.
Reflective of his draft slot, the 5-foot-11, 188-pound Minor faces longer odds to earn a roster spot as cornerback in one of the Patriots’ deeper positions, headlined by projected starters Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III.
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