- Aaron Rodgers will go down as one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game.
- But back in 2005, Rodgers fell all the way to the Packers with the 24th overall pick in the NFL Draft.
- Rodgers has often used that day as motivation in his career and even used to tease one coach who drafted another quarterback ahead of him in the draft.
- Take a look below at the 23 players taken ahead of the greatest quarterback of his generation.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
No. 1 Alex Smith
Alex Smith, a quarterback out of Utah, was picked No. 1 overall by the San Francisco 49ers.
Smith is now an analyst for ESPN.
Smith played for eight seasons in San Francisco before heading to Kansas City, where he was the starter until the emergence of Patrick Mahomes. Smith then went to Washington, where a scary leg injury nearly ended his career before making a comeback in the 2020 season. After the season, he retired and is now an analyst for ESPN.
No. 2 Ronnie Brown
Ronnie Brown, a running back from Auburn, was picked No. 2 overall by the Miami Dolphins.
Brown is now a sideline reporter.
Brown spent six seasons with the Dolphins before bouncing between the Chargers, Eagles, and Texans through the final years of his career. He rushed for 1,000 yards once and made one Pro Bowl team. He is now a sideline reporter during Auburn games.
No. 3 Braylon Edwards
Braylon Edwards, a wide receiver from Michigan, was picked No. 3 overall by the Cleveland Browns.
He is now an analyst.
Edwards had a breakout season in his third year in the league, bringing in 80 receptions for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns, but left Cleveland after some legal issues. He spent time with the Jets, 49ers, and Seahawks to close his career. For several years he ran the Braylon Edwards Foundation that provided scholarships for high school students. He worked as an analyst for the Big Ten Network, where an ongoing feud with Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh led to a suspension. He now talks Detroit and Michigan sports for the Woodward Sports Network.
No. 4 Cedric Benson
Benson died in a motorcycle accident in 2019.
Benson never excelled in Chicago but had four solid seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals rushing for 1,000 yards three times before ending his career with the Packers in 2012. Benson died in a motorcycle accident in 2019.
No. 5 Cadillac Williams
Cadillac Williams was the second Auburn running back drafted and was picked No. 5 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Williams is now a coach at his Alma Mater.
Williams rushed for 1,178 yards his rookie season and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year. It was the best season of his seven-year career, which was marred by several injuries. He is now the associate head coach at Auburn after briefly serving as the interim head coach in 2022.
No. 6 Adam "Pacman" Jones
Adam "Pacman" Jones, a defensive back from West Virginia, was picked No. 6 overall by the Tennessee Titans.
Jones played 12 seasons in the NFL despite several legal issues, spending most of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. He officially announced his retirement in 2019. In 2021, Jones adopted the children of former Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry who was killed in 2009. One of those kids is now a top high school player with offers from schools like Ohio State. He also recently opened an athletic training complex near Cincinnati.
No. 7 Troy Williamson
Troy Williamson, a wide receiver out of South Carolina, was picked No. 7 overall by the Minnesota Vikings.
Williamson spent five seasons in the NFL and caught just four touchdowns. He never finished a year with more than 500 yards receiving. He now lives in Georgia with his wife and four children. He has several business ventures and is a motivational speaker.
No. 8 Antrel Rolle
Antrel Rolle, a defensive back from Miami, was picked No. 8 overall by the Arizona Cardinals.
Rolle now coaches little league football.
View this post on InstagramRolle played 11 seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants in 2011. He was named to the Pro Bowl three times. He now spends time coaching little league football and watching his kids play sports.
No. 9 Carlos Rogers
Carlos Rogers, a defensive back from Auburn. was picked No. 9 overall by the Washington Football Team.
Rogers was recently charged in an NFL healthcare fraud case.
Rogers spent 10 productive seasons as an NFL cornerback, playing for Washington, San Francisco, and Oakland. In 2020, he pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiring to defraud a program set up to reimburse former players for out-of-pocket medical expenses. In 2019, Rogers pleaded guilty to fraud after Rogers and other former NFL players were accused of submitting $4 million in fraudulent healthcare claims. Rogers was sentenced to house arrest and community service.
No. 10 Mike Williams
Mike Williams, a wide receiver from USC, was picked No. 10 overall by the Detroit Lions.
Williams is now a high school football coach.
Williams spent five years in the NFL over two stints, finishing with just 1,526 yards and five touchdowns over the course of his career. He now coaches high school football at Robinson in the Tampa area. He recently said he looked at coaching college but decided to stay at the high school level.
No. 11 DeMarcus Ware
DeMarcus Ware, a linebacker from Troy, was picked No. 11 overall by the Dallas Cowboys.
Ware is now a Hall of Famer and has starred in TV competition shows.
Ware had one of the most productive careers of the 2005 draft class, spending 12 seasons in the NFL and being named to first-team All-Pro four times. He finished his career with 138.5 sacks — good for 9th on the all-time list and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2023. Since retiring, he has appeared on TV shows such as "Battle of the Network Stars" and "Dancing with the Stars."
No. 12 Shawne Merriman
Shawne Merriman, a linebacker from Maryland, was picked No. 12 overall by the San Diego Chargers.
He is now getting into the MMA world.
Merriman spent eight years in the NFL with the Chargers and Bills before announcing his retirement in 2013. In 2019, he launched an MMA promotion called "Lights Out Xtreme Fighting." He also made a guest appearance on "The Bachelor."
No. 13 Jammal Brown
Jammal Brown, an offensive tackle from Oklahoma, was picked No. 13 overall by the New Orleans Saints.
Brown was a 2-time Pro Bowler.
Brown spent the first five years of his career in New Orleans protecting Drew Brees, winning a Super Bowl with the Saints in 2010. Brown spent three more years with Washington before an injury ended his career. He was a 6-year starter in the NFL and made the Pro Bowl twice.
No. 14 Thomas Davis
Thomas Davis, a linebacker out of Georgia, was picked No. 14 overall by the Carolina Panthers.
He is now a photographer.
Davis spent 14 seasons with the Panthers and said he would retire after the 2018 season, but returned to the league to play two more years — one with the Chargers and one with Washington. He announced his retirement (again) in December 2020. Since then, he has become a freelance photographer and runs the Thomas Davis Youth Leadership Academy.
No. 15 Derrick Johnson
Derrick Johnson, a linebacker from Texas, was picked No. 15 overall by the Kansas City Chiefs.
View this post on InstagramJohnson made four Pro Bowls over 13 seasons in Kansas City before heading to the Oakland Raiders for the final year of his career in 2018. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2023 and now runs Derrick Johnson's Defend the Dream Foundation with a mission "to provide low-income and inner-city young people with opportunities and resources to reach their full potential." He also has a lot of kids.
No. 16 Travis Johnson
Travis Johnson, a Florida State defensive tackle, was picked No. 16 overall by the Houston Texans.
Johnson spent six seasons in the NFL with the Texans and Chargers. Since retiring, he has spent time coaching at Florida State on a part-time basis. He told Drew Dougherty that he spends time now working as an ambassador for the Houston Texans and being a full-time dad.
No. 17 David Pollack
David Pollack, a linebacker from Georgia, was picked No. 17 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals.
He is now an analyst for ESPN.
Pollack suffered a scary injury in his second NFL season that eventually ended his playing career. He is now an analyst on ESPN's "College Gameday."
No. 18 Erasmus James
Erasmus James, a Wisconsin defensive end, was picked No. 18 overall by the Minnesota Vikings.
After a short NFL career, he is now an entrepreneur.
James spent four seasons in the NFL before being waived by Washington in 2008. According to his LinkedIn profile, he is now an entrepreneur in New Mexico.
No. 19 Alex Barron
Alex Barron, an offensive tackle from Florida State, was picked No. 19 overall by the St. Louis Rams.
Barron was a starter for 5 years with the Rams.
Barron played five seasons in the NFL before bouncing between a few practice squads and ending his career in 2013. He was recently featured on an episode of Donkmaster, where they restored his 1996 Impala.
No. 20 Marcus Spears
Marcus Spears, an LSU defensive end, was picked No. 20 overall by the Dallas Cowboys.
He is now an analyst for ESPN.
Spears spent nine seasons in the NFL, eight of them with the Cowboys. He's now an analyst for "NFL Live" on ESPN.
No. 21 Matt Jones
Matt Jones, an Arkansas quarterback, was picked No. 21 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a wide receiver.
The experiment was largely unsuccessful and he turned to sports media after retiring.
—Houston Nutt (@CBSCoachNutt) April 9, 2022Jones played just four seasons in the NFL, all with Jacksonville, catching 65 receptions for 761 yards and two touchdowns in the best year of his career. His NFL career was marred by multiple drug and alcohol arrests and a suspension from the NFL. After leaving the NFL, he has worked in sports radio in his home state of Arkansas and recently joined ESPN Arkansas. He also now has an impressive beard.
No. 22 Mark Clayton
Mark Clayton, an Oklahoma receiver, was picked No. 22 overall by the Baltimore Ravens.
Clayton recently founded a headphones company.
Clayton played seven seasons in the NFL, five of them with the Ravens. After his playing career, Clayton founded LIVV headphones, a fitness-friendly wireless headphone brand.
No. 23 Fabian Washington
Fabian Washington, a defensive back from Nebraska, was picked No. 23 overall by the Oakland Raiders, ons spot before Rodgers.
He is now a football coach in high school.
—FABIAN WASHINGTON (@FABEWASH31) March 13, 2020Washington played six seasons in the NFL with the Raiders and Ravens before a hamstring injury ended his career in 2011. He has since moved on to coaching high school football in the Orlando area.
No. 24 Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers, a QB out of Cal, was picked No. 24 overall by the Green Bay Packers after some thought he could be taken No. 1.
Rodgers had a long wait on draft night.
After the ninth pick of the draft, Rodger was the last player waiting in the draft's green room, and speculation on how far he would fall became one of the top themes of ESPN's coverage that night.
Now 18 seasons into his NFL career, Rodgers is still one of the top QBs in the NFL, winning his third and fourth MVPs in 2020 and 2021. He has also made headlines for how he takes care of his body and mind off the field and how he handled his bout with COVID. While we still don't know where he will play Season 19 (the Jets?), it seems like Rodgers, the last player still active from the first round of the 2005 draft, will still play.
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