Some People Can Really Pick ‘Em

Some of the winners and losers from the 2005 NFL draft:

Winner: Aaron Rodgers. Yes, his first-round tumble cost him more than $10 million in guaranteed money. Yes, he was the last one left in the green room and had to wait around for hours until Green Bay selected him with the 24th pick. But the California quarterback is headed to a place where he can learn at the elbow of one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. And Brett Favre is secure enough in what he has done that he won’t snub the kid.

Loser: Alex Smith. He was drafted 47 spots after Rodgers. Oh, wait

Winner: Mike Nugent. The former Ohio State player became the third-highest drafted kicker in history when the New York Jets made him the 47th pick. That means the Jets are getting rid of Doug Brien, who missed two field-goal attempts in a playoff loss at Pittsburgh.

Losers: All those Jet fans who showed up to cheer their team at the draft. They fell silent when Nugent was selected in the second round. Hundreds of opposing fans hooted and laughed before starting a chant of “Same old Jets!”

Winner: Maurice Clarett. The Ohio State running back, chosen by Denver with the final pick on Day 1, went long before most people expected. He’s heading into a good situation. The Broncos have a lot of running backs -- Ron Dayne, Tatum Bell, Mike Anderson and Quentin Griffin -- but none is the clear favorite for the starting job. So what if most draft gurus thought Clarett should go much later, if at all? Whom do you trust more, Mel Kiper or Bobby Turner, among the best running-back coaches in the business?

Losers: All the Bronco beat writers who were hoping for a quiet end to the first day, but instead had a huge story dropped on them mere minutes before their newspaper deadlines.

Winner: Mike Williams. The former USC receiver was the only Pacific 10 Conference player drafted in the top 20.

Loser: Williams. He went 10th to Detroit, which for the third consecutive year used its top pick on a receiver. There’s only one football -- one football that Joey Harrington has a hard time delivering -- and Roy Williams and Charles Rogers have to get their touches too.

Winner: San Francisco. This time agent Tom Condon’s star rookie client didn’t pitch a fit when the worst team in football made him the No. 1 pick.

Loser: Eli Manning. In light of the graciousness of Alex Smith -- and, for that matter, Rodgers -- Manning seems even more childish for refusing to wear the Charger cap on draft day last year.

Winners: The three teams that got the most intriguing quarterback prospects on Day 2 -- Chicago (Kyle Orton), Carolina (Stefan LeFors) and New Orleans (Adrian McPherson).

Losers: The teams that spent first-round picks on quarterbacks. Only four first-round quarterbacks in NFL history led the team that drafted them to a Super Bowl victory: Terry Bradshaw, Phil Simms, Jim McMahon and Troy Aikman.

Winners: First-round picks such as Texas running back Cedric Benson, drafted fourth by Chicago, who got busted in college for marijuana possession and another time for criminal trespass, when he kicked down a woman’s apartment door; and Northwestern defensive tackle Luis Castillo, picked 28th by San Diego, who tested positive for the steroid androstenedione at the combine.

Losers: Anyone who thinks character should come before ability.

Winner: Matt Cassel. A backup to quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC, Cassel was selected by New England in the seventh round.

Loser: Jason White. Despite a resume that includes the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the former Oklahoma quarterback was not drafted.

Winner: Dallas. The Cowboys had an exceptional draft, picking up three players who should help them tremendously in switching to a 3-4 defense: defensive end Marcus Spears and outside linebackers DeMarcus Ware and Kevin Burnett. Ware and Spears went in the first round, and Burnett in the second. All are considered very promising prospects.

Loser: Buffalo. The Bills didn’t do much to help the offensive line, their most pressing need. They also didn’t get the trade value they wanted from running back Travis Henry. The teams that were eyeing him -- Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Arizona -- all filled running-back needs in the draft.

Winner: Minnesota. The Vikings had a great draft. They got an outstanding young receiver, improved their defensive line and picked up a promising offensive-line prospect. Could a Super Bowl be that far off?

Winner: Mike Tice. Should the Vikings make the Super Bowl, you know what that means for the coach: Extra tickets!