Mr. Irrelevant 2012: Chandler Harnish Will Be Colts' No. 2 QB in 2012

Chandler Harnish was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the final pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, earning him the Mr. Irrelevant tag for the length of his pro career. Ironically, Harnish will be a relevant player on Indianapolis' depth chart in 2012. 

Things get more ironic. The final pick of the 2012 NFL Draft will earn a chance to backup No. 1 overall selection Andrew Luck. 

Harnish may not be known by many, or any. Here's why he will go from unknown to Luck's primary backup this season. 

College Credentials

Harnish holds 30 Northern Illinois records and was a two time All-MAC selection. He threw for nearly 9,000 yards in his college career and threw 68 touchdowns. His 11,927 total yards are third in MAC history.

According to the new Colts' GM Ryan Grigson, this warranted a selection.

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It is relevant because otherwise you wouldn’t burn a pick on somebody. This person we took had tremendous success in the Mid-American Conference. He’s got ability, and he was higher on our board than where we took him.

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Harnish does not have a major college pedigree or the best physical tools, but his success makes him intriguing.

Fills a Need

The only quarterbacks on the Colts' roster prior to the draft were Drew Stanton and Joey Vittatoe. Luck was the starter the second his name was announced by Roger Goodell. Harnish will battle these two unproven backups every inch of the way.

Stanton is not a reliable option as a backup and Vittatoe has one year of NFL experience. These are not encouraging options. 

At the very least, Harnish's selection filled a glaring need on the Colts' depth chart. He will not see the field barring a Luck injury, but quality backups are a valuable commodity in the NFL.

Stanton's 63.1 career quarterback rating is not encouraging. The Colts were wise to snag Harnish with the final pick. 

It is easy to say Harnish will never sniff an NFL snap, but his college production and the Colts' quarterback situation begs to differ. 

Harnish enters a perfect situation for a supposedly irrelevant player.