Dreams will be made in Thursday’s NFL Draft as college superstars greet commissioner Roger Goodell with a big hug on primetime TV.
But for every prospect whose dreams come true, there are dozens more who end up with a giant chip on their shoulder.
Aaron Rodgers knows the dark side of the NFL Draft better than anyone else.
“How disappointed are you that you will not be a 49er?” Rodgers was asked in 2005.
“Not as disappointed as the 49ers will be that they didn’t draft me,” replied Rodgers, before he became a Super Bowl winner and four-time NFL MVP.
In ’05, Rodgers was a strong-armed quarterback prospect out of California.
For months, the Chico native was linked with the No. 1 overall pick and the San Francisco 49ers, his childhood team.
“That was so important for me, as far as setting dreams and goals, was being able to watch the late ’80s and early ’90s 49ers teams, which were obviously fantastic,” Rodgers told NBC.
“I remember sitting down, we’d have a big Super Bowl party, and watching (Joe Montana) and The Drive. Then thinking, even at five or six years old, ‘That’s what I want to do. I want to go out and be like that.’”
Rodgers wanted to be drafted at the top by the 49ers and was led to believe it would happen.
But as the first round of the draft approached on April 23, 2005 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, teams began to zero in on Alex Smith to San Francisco at No. 1 overall.
With running backs stacking the rest of the top spots, Rodgers started sliding downward on live TV.
“A couple of weeks ago, Aaron, you were the clear-cut No. 1,” a TV reporter said. “What’s changed over that time?”
“I wish I could tell you,” Rodgers replied. “I haven’t changed anything. It’s just the perception of me or maybe the needs of the teams at this point.”
Smith was coming off a perfect 12-0 junior season at Utah and was more of a pro-ready QB than Rodgers, who had spent time at Butte Junior College and struggled to attract the attention of top universities during his high school days.
Ronnie Brown, who made one Pro Bowl, went No. 2 to the Miami Dolphins.
Braylon Edwards, who also made a Pro Bowl, was taken at No. 3 by the Cleveland Browns.
Cedric Benson, Cadillac Williams and DeMarcus Ware — a future Hall of Famer — followed.
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But pick after pick, Rodgers was forced to remain seated in the green room and have his agonizing wait described in detail live on national TV.
“You’ve got to get away from this at some point, because it’s too out of control,” said Rodgers, two days before the draft.
Green Bay had Brett Favre locked in at QB in 2005, and the future Hall of Famer remained with the Packers until 2007.
As Rodgers fell and fell, the No. 24 overall pick drew near.
“I’m excited about going to a team that wants me and making an impact right away,” he said.
The Pack finally came through at No. 24, taking Rodgers’ name off the board and ending the most unexpected and widely covered downward slide in NFL Draft history.
Rodgers was forced to wait until 2008 to become the Packers’ starting QB, spending three seasons in hurry-up-and-wait mode as Favre kept reconsidering his NFL future and putting up huge numbers in Green Bay.
“On the inside there was a lot of disappointment and embarrassment,” Rodgers later said. “Just thinking about the hard work that I’d put in and the disappointment of it not paying off.”
Almost 20 years later, it’s obvious that Rodgers should have been the No. 1 pick and become a 49er.
Smith made three Pro Bowls, threw for 35,650 career yards and 199 touchdowns, and posted a 99-67-1 record while playing for three teams.
But when the actual No. 1 pick in 2005 is compared to Rodgers, it’s not even close.
The No. 24 pick has made 10 Pro Bowls, was named the MVP of Super Bowl XLV, and has thrown for 59,055 yards with 475 TDs.
Rodgers, 40, flamed out with the New York Jets and is considering retirement if he cannot find a suitable home for 2025.
When he calls it a day, he will go down as one of the best QBs in NFL history, while Smith only played in more than 10 games during seven pro seasons.
Rodgers would be the No. 1 overall pick in almost every NFL Draft — except he was overlooked pick after pick in 2005.
“A lot of people did not have Aaron Rodgers as a top 10 quarterback,” a draft analyst said. “He has flaws. He has blemishes.”
A lot of people in the NFL were were wrong.
Rodgers was right.
