Even though Los Angeles doesn't have an NFL team, that doesn't mean this weekend's draft was irrelevant. Unless, of course, you're Mr. Irrelevant, but we'll get to that in a moment.

Unlike most major cities in this country, LA is the only one that suffers a net loss of talent whenever the draft happens. The closest team is the San Diego Chargers, who didn't exactly have exciting picks. Choosing LSU wideout Craig Davis over USC's Dwayne Jarrett couldn't have made many local fans happy, either. Unable to add players to their own pro team, Angelinos watch as our treasured stars from USC and UCLA matriculate to the next level. It's been extra tough on the Trojans, as a lot of their phenoms leave before their eligibility is up: Jarrett, Mike Williams, Reggie Bush, Lendale White, and so on. Superstar seniors are such an exception that Matt Leinart's decision to stay for his senior year was considered shocking.

This year eight players departed Troy for the pro ranks. Three of them (Jarrett, Steve Smith, and Ryan Kalil) went in the second round and two (Dallas Sartz and Oscar Lua) went on the second day. Three more were undrafted but still signed a few hours after the final round was completed. UCLA only had one player drafted, but he was the highest pick at his position. Bulls-eye kicker Justin Medlock went in the fifth round, surprising many experts who thought the top leg belonged to Colorado deep threat Mason Crosby.

Of course, local talent doesn't just include local colleges. Many prep standouts who left Southern California for their higher learning have now made the jump to NFL. Closest to LA was Redondo Beach native Mike Okwo. He played at Mira Costa High School before suiting up as an outside linebacker for Stanford, where he earned first team All Pac 10 honors. Now he's bound for Chicago after being selected by the Bears in the third round.

Another local story line belongs to a certain cannon-armed OC QB named Palmer. No, this isn't a flashback to 2002. Jordan Palmer went in the last roundafter playing for UTEP (University of Texas at El Paso). Most sports fans remember his older brother, Carson, as the only person to ever win the Heisman Trophy (USC) and be the first overall pick in the NFL draft (Cincinnati). Jordan's expectations aren't quite as high but he could still be a serviceable player in the pros.

Back to irrelevance. Ramzee Robinson was the last pick in the draft (#255), earning him the title "Mr. Irrelevant" and a week in his honor in Newport Beach this summer. The week includes a parade, golf tournament, regatta, and awards ceremony. He also gets a funny trophy. All the pageantry was started by former NFL player and USC alum Paul Salata. It's a week in Southern California that Robinson will never forget.

AP photo by Michael Conroy.