When the Patriots selected Kobee Minor as Mr. Irrelevant in the 2025 NFL Draft, only the most dedicated draftniks immediately recognized his name.

Listed as the 127th-ranked cornerback in Dane Brugler’s 2025 NFL Draft guide, Minor was about as unheralded as it gets for a drafted player.

Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf explained why Minor flew under the radar.

“Yeah, Kobee’s a guy that our scouts that went into Memphis this year got on early. I think to answer your question, he was a double transfer guy. He started his career at Texas Tech and then played one year at Indiana and then actually transferred to Memphis this year,” Wolf said. “He transferred kind of late, so I don’t know that he was necessarily on the radar early in the season for some people. Then he had a hamstring, so he came back from it and played well. The movement skills at practice, the ability to play the football in the air, his competitiveness, we brought him in for a pre-draft visit, a 30 visit, and he did a really nice job on that. He was a guy that we had some affinity for. Mr. Irrelevant, a pretty cool experience for him, but we were excited to be able to add him.”

Minor played significant roles at Indiana in 2023 and Memphis in 2024. He allowed 21 catches on 39 targets for 301 yards and two touchdowns with three pass breakups last season. He let up just 18 catches on 35 targets for 351 yards and a touchdown with four pass breakups in 2023.

Minor didn’t have an interception during his college career. He was initially a three-star recruit.

“Kobee Minor is a guy we feel like can play outside and inside,” Wolf said. “I feel like we have some other players on the roster that have that flexibility.”