By Ryan O'Halloran
Holding the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft, San Francisco was seen to have two choices at quarterback: Utah’s Alex Smith and California’s Aaron Rodgers.
The 49ers selected Smith first, he started as a rookie and has a career record of 19-31; Rodgers slid to 24th overall and Green Bay – he sat for three years before becoming the league’s best quarterback (34-20 record, 107 TDs, 35 INTs and one Super Bowl title).
Reflecting on the pre-draft process of Smith, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said: “Everybody wasn’t really sure because he ran an unconventional type of offensive scheme so you kind of had to project him into a system. I would say that was probably the consensus overall.”
This year, Smith has nine touchdowns and only two interceptions for the 6-1 49ers.
“He’s not making very many mistakes,” Shanahan said. “He’s running the offense the way it should be run.”
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