A Look At the QBs From The 2005 Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was an odd one in many ways. Many will remember Aaron Rodgers falling all the way down to the 24th pick in the first round after many expected a top ten destination. It was Alex Smith from Utah that was taken with the first pick in the draft. The three quarterbacks taken in the first round were Alex Smith (1.01), Aaron Rodgers (1.24), and Jason Campbell (1.25).
Now, let’s look at each of the three:
Alex Smith has started 30 games for San Francisco in the three years. He struggled as a rookie with one touchdown pass and eleven interceptions. In his career, Smith has 19 scoring tosses and 31 picks. That is terrible by any standard. Another telling statistic is the passing yardage. Alex Smith has 4,679 passing yards in his 32-game career. In 2007, many had high aspirations for the third-year pro. He was coming off of a top twenty finish among fantasy quarterbacks. The team traded for veteran receiver, Darrell Jackson. But, Smith was averaging just 4.2 yards per pass attempt, with two scores and four interceptions, before being replaced by Trent Dilfer because of a shoulder injury. There is legitimate doubt to whether Alex Smith can be an average quarterback in the NFL. It is a sad commentary that Trent Dilfer has outplayed Alex Smith.
Aaron Rodgers was drafted because the Packers thought there was a decent chance Brett Favre would have retired by now. The former Cal Bear has yet to start a game. Many feared that Aaron Rodgers was a “system quarterback” in college and would have a difficult time adjusting to the NFL. He has appeared in seven games in three seasons. Rodgers looked very poised replacing an injured Brett Favre in the week thirteen matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. This was the most action he had seen in any regular season game so far in his young career. Rodgers completed 18 of 26 passes for 201 yards and a scoring toss to Greg Jennings. Green Bay Packer fans must be a little less apprehensive about the future with the way Favre’s backup played. The Packers have some young talent on offense, giving hope for Rodgers’ future. Brett Favre injured his forearm and separated his shoulder in the game. The veteran passer thinks he will play in the week fourteen game against the Oakland Raiders. If not, Aaron Rodgers looks poised to play, and play well.
Jason Campbell has played well this season, especially considering how poorly his receivers have performed. He is the eleventh ranked fantasy quarterback coming into week thirteen. Campbell did not play as a rookie, so this is his second season under center for the Redskins. He has been solid, yet unspectacular. The offense is run-heavy and the Washington Redskins have few playmakers. Chris Cooley and Santana Moss are the only legitimate weapons in the passing game. The 2007 season has seen Jason Campbell take a giant step forward. He has progressed and matured as a NFL quarterback. Through the eleven games, Jason Campbell has thrown for 2, 384 yards, twelve touchdowns, and ten interceptions. He also has added another 169 yards on he ground and a rushing score. One statistic many use to compare passers is yards per pass attempt. The former Auburn star is averaging 6.5 yards per attempt. This is a very solid number, indicative of his solid performance this year.
Even though Alex Smith was the only one of these three that played much as a rookie, or even through the first half of last year, he is not progressing as a NFL quarterback. This was a relatively weak quarterback class, but Campbell and Rodgers look to be good young quarterbacks for their respective franchises.
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