Brock Purdy was an afterthought when the 49ers made him Mr. Irrelevant in 2022. The third-string quarterback ended up being relevant for his team as a rookie after injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Toledo defensive tackle Desjuan Johnson was Mr. Irrelevant this spring. He hopes to make the same impact with the Rams that Purdy had with the 49ers.
“Call me Mr. Irrelevant. I ain’t trippin’. I’m just ready to play football,” Johnson told WTOL 11. “Everybody was making it seem bad. Like, it’s just a name. I understand the things that come with it and everything, but at the end of the day, I got picked, and I’m ready to prove that I’m there, and I’m ready to play.”
Johnson calls the NFL “a bigger and tougher mountain” than college, where he made 45.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in five seasons at Toledo.
The Rams lost A’Shawn Robinson, Leonard Floyd and Greg Gaines along their defensive line, giving Johnson and fellow rookies Kobie Turner and Byron Young a chance to find roles.
“I didn’t get picked in the mid or first rounds, but that don’t mean I have to stand alone,” Johnson said. “But you know, how I do in the NFL, I just have to go in there and make a name for myself and make as many plays as I can. Be out there, be relevant, be for the team.”