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The 49ers entered the 2005 NFL Draft after finishing with a 2-14 record in the 2004 season. There was a clear need at quarterback as neither Tim Rattay nor Ken Dorsey was their long-term answer. The team also needed help everywhere else on the roster.
San Francisco ended up with the worst record in the league, getting the No. 1 overall pick. Looking at the quarterback draft class in 2005, two stood out above the rest: Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers.
For the 49ers, taking a quarterback at No. 1 was a no-brainer, but their selection changed the course of their franchise for some time. It's one of the few regrets the team had in the 2005 NFL Draft in retrospect.
#1 - 49ers passing on hometown kid Aaron Rodgers
In the end, the San Francisco 49ers chose Smith over Rodgers with the top pick. Rodgers was born in Chico, California, which is around three hours from San Francisco. He even attended the University of California-Berkley. He was the hometown kid.
Everything seemed aligned for Rodgers to join his hometown team, but the franchise went with the University of Utah star. The Green Bay Packers selected Rodgers, who fell all the way to the 24th pick in the draft.
Alex Smith would start 75 games for San Francisco over the course of seven seasons, making the playoffs once in that stretch. Smith would go on to play 14 seasons in the NFL, retiring in April 2021.
Aaron Rodgers wouldn't see the field for the first three seasons of his career, sitting behind Hall of Famer Brett Favre.
The Packers traded Favre ahead of the 2008 season, and the young quarterback would become the team's full-time starter. Rodgers didn't look back, winning four MVP awards and winning Super Bowl 45 in 2011. He's currently second among active quarterbacks in touchdowns (475) and in passer rating (103.6).
San Francisco fans are left to wonder "what if" they went with Rodgers over Smith. The team might have its sixth Lombardi Trophy and have yet another dynasty on their hands.
#2 - Taking Ronald Fields over Trent Cole
The 49ers decided to go defense in the fifth round of the 2005 draft, taking defensive tackle Ronald Fields. Fields was a 6-2, 310-pounder coming out of Mississippi State and was seen as the heir to Anthony Adams, the 49ers veteran defensive star.
However, Fields never became the player that San Francisco thought he would be. He had 88 tackles, a forced fumble, and a sack in four seasons with the team.
Yet, Trent Cole was taken nine spots later at No. 146 by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Cole was a defensive end/linebacker hybrid that could've helped the 49ers defense. Instead, Cole would play a dozen seasons in the NFL, making the Pro Bowl twice and racking up 90.5 career sacks.
#3 - Drafting Rasheed Marshall and Marcus Maxwell
Like Fields, Rasheed Marshall was a fifth-round pick for the 49ers in 2005. He was a college quarterback at West Virginia, but converted to a wide receiver to play in the NFL. Yet, it didn't work out at all for the 49ers, who needed playmakers badly.
He had one reception for negative one yards in 12 games for the team. Marcus Maxwell, who was no better than the University of Oregon receiver, had a total of five yards on one reception in nine game with San Francisco.
