2005 Draft - What ifs

by GTrain on Mar 16, 2009 1:00 PM PDT

Some people, including a Jets blog linked to on the site, are comparing this draft and Stafford to Smith and the 2005 draft, where a QB was forced as a #1 pick because the team picking 1st was in desperate need of a QB

I know the obvious thought here is Aaron Rodgers, but there were a lot of questions about him as well at the time. If he had been thrust into the Niners situation instead of sitting behind Favre all those years, who knows what would have happened. So let' say the Niners didn' go QB with the #1 pick. Who do we take? Ronnie Brown, Caddillac? Does that mean we dont take Gore in the 3rd? Merriman and other pro bowlers went around 10, with other studs in the second round.

So to reiterate my question is if we don't go QB #1, what does the 2005 Draft look like for the 49ers?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_NFL_Draft

by GTrain on Mar 16, 2009 1:01 PM PDT reply actions

Probably Brown or Benson.

But that means no Gore in the 3rd. ;(

MURS for President!!!!!!!

by jtoj on Mar 16, 2009 1:09 PM PDT reply actions

Merriman or DJ Johnson

It sucked having to have a number 1 pick that couldn’t be traded

by rlott#42 on Mar 16, 2009 1:21 PM PDT reply actions

i would guess brown

but as they said that would mean no gore either way i am fine with the way it did turn out and its ok now because its in the past

by football is life on Mar 16, 2009 1:54 PM PDT reply actions

No Smith No Problems

http://www.49ersboard.blogspot.com

by supraman on Mar 16, 2009 2:18 PM PDT reply actions

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas.

I'm thinking but nothing's happening.

by JRPhillips on Mar 16, 2009 2:19 PM PDT reply actions

It depends

Are we saying in hindsight who do we take? If that’s the case, then I’d say Ware at #1 and you still take Gore in round 3, with either Derek Anderson in round 6 or Ryan Fitzpatrick in round 7 as the developmental QB. If we’re looking at it from the standpoint of who we would have taken with the knowledge we had then, I’d say it probably would have been Ronnie Brown and then maybe Charlie Frye in round 3.

"So's your mom"-David Sloane

by gatling on Mar 16, 2009 3:00 PM PDT reply actions

Knowledge we had then.

That’s my point is that sure it’s easy in hindsight to take Merriman or Ware #1, but for a team in that situation, I doubt it would ever happen

by GTrain on Mar 16, 2009 3:08 PM PDT up reply actions

With knowledge...

… the team had then?

If you completely take both QBs out of the equation, I think the 49ers would have seriously considered Braylon Edwards. I don’t remember for sure, but I seem to remember them bringing him and Antrel Rolle in for visits.

by sfgfan on Mar 16, 2009 3:14 PM PDT reply actions

Take Gore

#1, then take Cassell anywhere in the later rounds.

"Chlorophyll?! More like bore-ophyll!"

by SoCal As Fan on Mar 16, 2009 3:39 PM PDT reply actions

I think the obvious choice is Braylon Edwards

Suck for another year and then don’t take a [site decorum] tight end with the 7th pick in 2006. Leinart or Cutler in 06 perhaps?

"I’m Joey Devine, I’m what Joba Chamberlain would be if he was good and nobody had ever heard of him."

by mikev on Mar 16, 2009 3:46 PM PDT reply actions

While I don't advocate...

… delaying the drafting of one need because of the “prospect” of the next draft, I think that’s how it probably should or would play out if the 49ers had taken any non-QB in 2005.

by sfgfan on Mar 16, 2009 4:18 PM PDT up reply actions

Well, no, not specifically because of Leinart/Cutler/Young in 06

but because Edwards was a much better bet to be a highly productive NFL player

"I’m Joey Devine, I’m what Joba Chamberlain would be if he was good and nobody had ever heard of him."

by mikev on Mar 16, 2009 9:14 PM PDT up reply actions

Edwards

I really liked him and Rolle in 2005. Of course you don’t take a CB/FS with the #1 overall pick, so Edwards would be the more logical choice of the two.

Are you of the belief that Smith was definitely the better choice of the two QBs?

by sfgfan on Mar 17, 2009 9:22 AM PDT up reply actions

No, I would have preferred Rodgers over Smith

Mostly because of that one game where he completed like 15 passes in a row against USC, though.

"I’m Joey Devine, I’m what Joba Chamberlain would be if he was good and nobody had ever heard of him."

by mikev on Mar 18, 2009 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions

If I'm not mistaken...

… Rodgers was to that draft what Stafford is to this year’s draft, in some ways. I think many regarded Rodgers as the more “NFL ready” QB out of the two, but Smith was the one with greater upside.

I think I’ve read countless times from Maiocco that Smith wouldn’t have gotten past #3 if the 49ers had passed on him, but Rodgers slipped pretty far. While that definitely doesn’t prove anything, it’s interesting to see that another team had the same high opinions on Smith and similar low opinions of Rodgers as the 49ers.

by sfgfan on Mar 18, 2009 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions

that's what I thought at the time

I thought we should take Braylon and get a QB the next year in a draft that had what looked like a much stronger QB class (leinart, cutler, vince young)

Still defending Rich Aurilia, and the Niners' classic unis

by wjackalope on Mar 16, 2009 4:34 PM PDT up reply actions

+1

Edwards should have been the pick and he was actually discussed as potential pick for the Niners.

Don't sweat it. I'm illiterate.

by methodrampage on Mar 17, 2009 7:21 AM PDT up reply actions

I might be remembering incorrectly, but I believe some of the “logic” thrown around was, “Why draft a WR when you don’t have a QB to throw him the ball?”

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. - Emo Philips

Neglectful father of David Quinowski

by marcello on Mar 18, 2009 10:45 AM PDT up reply actions

That...

… may have been some people’s reasoning, but I see it differently.

I think Smith was a PR pick, to some extent. The team needed a fresh young face to “lead” the team. Smith came across (and still does) as a bright kid who shows a lot of promise and makes you want to like him. Couple that with the thought that a QB takes quite a bit of time to develop in the WCO (which is what they were looking to run at the time), giving Smith a head start over all his future “weapons” seemed fairly logical.

While I don’t necessarily agree with that thought process, I can definitely see it being the case.

by sfgfan on Mar 18, 2009 10:55 AM PDT up reply actions

Chicken or the egg?

Why draft a QB when he’s got nobody to throw the ball to?

Smith and Rodgers, as far as I can remember, weren’t considered elite talents at QB. Braylon Edwards was at least an elite talent at his position. Plus the next year’s QB class was a lot better.

Don't sweat it. I'm illiterate.

by methodrampage on Mar 18, 2009 1:39 PM PDT up reply actions

You remember...

… correctly. I’m pretty sure there were A LOT of “pundits” saying that Smith and Rodgers wouldn’t even get first round consideration (let alone top 10) in any other draft. Sort of similar to what people are saying about this year’s QB class, but on a larger (or worse?) scale.

by sfgfan on Mar 18, 2009 3:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Missing the point

They say hindsight is 20/20 and that’s exactly what we have in this question. We took Alex Smith because he was at the time, the best player we thought availabe. Unfortunately like the Titans, he had no one to study under to make the transition. QB is the most cerebral of positions, and throwing a guy into it with a sink or swim mentality wi 9 times out of 10 gain negative results. Plus adding further injury to insult, in the last 6 years, ASmith has had 6 differrent O-Coordinators and the inconsistancy has killed him. Guys like MAtt Cassell had Tom Brady to study under. Derek Anderson sat behind Charlie Frye for 2 yrs. And don’t tell me about Trent Dilfer. Trent in B-More had the comfort of a Stellar D-fense and a great running attack. ASmith had niether. So really, it’s hard to say who we should have taken in ’05.

K.C.Edwards -AKA- "THE" DarkkStarr

by DarkkStarr1 on Mar 19, 2009 8:34 AM PDT reply actions