Hindsight is always 20/20, especially when discussing sports. The 2005 NFL Draft is a perfect example when looking at it in 2019. This draft featured one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game. The San Francisco 49ers held the first pick in the draft and were in need of a quarterback after a year of Tim Rattay and Ken Dorsey.
In the end, they decided to draft the top prospect in the draft, Alex Smith from Utah. Later in the draft, exactly 23 picks later, the Green Bay Packers selected Aaron Rodgers out of California. Rodgers was selected with the 24th pick of the draft. This means that 22 teams other than San Francisco passed on him.
With the very next pick at 25, the Washington Redskins took Jason Campbell from Auburn. A conversation could be had about what if Rodgers fell one more spot to Washington. But the Redskins did not have the chance to draft him and the Niners did. So what if they went with Rodgers instead?
Heading into the 2005 NFL Draft, San Francisco had been targeting up to six players to take with the No. 1 pick, including Smith and Rodgers. Their decision was most likely made after a workout from Smith.
In 2005, scouts gathered on Utah's campus to watch one of the top prospects make his case on why he should be taken first overall. Smith worked out for an hour and threw 80 passes. Of the 80 passes thrown, just three went incomplete and only one was deemed uncatchable. One month later, the Niners made Smith their franchise quarterback.
What If Rodgers Over Smith?
Smith has had a nice career in the NFL. There is no denying his ability to lead a team and win in the regular season. Smith has had pinpoint accuracy since entering the league and was never one to turn the ball over. The knock with Smith is his inability to win the big game.
Whether it was with the 49ers or Kansas City, Smith was never able to make it to the big game. Also, when you think of a game managing quarterback, Smith comes to mind.
Rodgers has been quite the opposite. He has won a Super Bowl in his career and is a complete game changing player. Rodgers is widely considered as the most talented quarterback to ever play the game. His arm talent is incredible and is something we may never see again.
If the Niners would have drafted Rodgers, they would have won at least one Super Bowl. There are other factors to consider. For example, would Rodgers have clicked with Jim Harbaugh? Would Rodgers have left in free agency? Did his years sitting behind Brett Favre really mean that much to his progress?
Knowing what we now know, the Niners had talented teams under Harbaugh and should have won more. It is hard to argue against Rodgers being the player that could have taken the 49ers over the top.
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