In 2005, Aaron Rodgers left the University of California and entered the NFL Draft. A projected top-ten to top-15 pick, Rodgers surprisingly found himself falling into the 20s on draft night. Fifteen years later, he’s a two-time MVP, Super Bowl Champion, and future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Rodgers fell to 24th overall, where the Green Bay Packers scooped him up. In the process, 18 teams that have not won a Super Bowl in the past decade and a half passed over the eight-time Pro Bowler. Only two players drafted above Rodgers (Thomas Davis and Alex Smith) remain in the NFL.
Plenty of teams regret passing on or not trading up for Rodgers. However, the six teams in this article never recovered from letting the Golden Bear slip through their grasps.
Before beginning, it’s important to note that there’s no guarantee Rodgers would develop into a Hall of Fame quarterback with a team other than Green Bay. He had the unique experience of sitting behind Brett Favre for three years, not that Favre wanted to tutor his future replacement.
Nevertheless, the following six teams should’ve taken Aaron Rodgers when they had the chance in the 2005 NFL Draft.
