2005 NFL draft

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox sports draft The 2005 NFL draft, the 70th in league history, took place on April 23 and 24, 2005. The draft was held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City and was televised for the 26th consecutive year, with coverage on ESPN and ESPN2. It was the first to be held at the Javits Center, as Madison Square Garden had been utilized for drafts since 1995.

The draft is perhaps best known for quarterback Aaron Rodgers' slide to the 24th selection despite his projection as one of the top picks. Rodgers believed that he would be taken first overall by the San Francisco 49ers, but after the 49ers selected quarterback Alex Smith, teams with other positional needs drafted other players until he was selected by the Green Bay Packers. The fall has drawn retrospective scrutiny because of Smith's tumultuous time in San Francisco combined with Rodgers' comparatively much more fruitful tenure with Green Bay.

Compensatory selections were distributed among 14 teams, with the Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams garnering the most with four picks each. Three of the first five picks were running backs, an NFL draft first.

The league also held a supplemental draft in 2005 after the regular draft but before the regular season.

The 255 players chosen in the draft were composed of:

36 Linebackers 31 Wide receivers 29 Cornerbacks 26 Offensive tackles 26 Running backs

20 Safeties 20 Defensive ends 15 Defensive tackles 15 Offensive guards 14 Quarterbacks

9 Tight ends 8 Centers 3 Kickers 2 Punters 1 Kick returner

Player selections

Template:NFLDraft-TOC * = compensatory selection † = Pro BowlerTemplate:Efn ‡ = Hall of FamerTemplate:Efn

File:Alex Smith - San Francisco vs Green Bay 2012 (4).jpg

Quarterback Alex Smith, taken first overall, struggled for his first few years before becoming a solid starter after 2011 for the San Francisco 49ers, a Pro Bowler with the Kansas City Chiefs and a starter with the Washington Redskins. He overcame a severe leg injury in his final season.

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Cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones, taken sixth overall, enjoyed a long career despite several off-field incidents.

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Linebacker DeMarcus Ware, taken 11th overall, was a stalwart on the Dallas Cowboys defense before finishing his career with the Denver Broncos.

File:Shawne-Merriman Chargers-vs-49ers Sept 7 2009.jpg

Linebacker Shawne Merriman, taken 12th overall, was a three-time All-Pro and led the NFL in sacks in 2006.

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Aaron Rodgers, taken 24th overall, is regarded as one of the most talented quarterbacks of all time and holds the record for lowest career interception percentage.

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Receiver Roddy White, taken 27th overall, was a four-time Pro Bowler and holds many Atlanta Falcons receiving records.

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Tight end Heath Miller, taken 30th overall, won two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was a fan favorite.

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Receiver Vincent Jackson, taken 61st overall in the second round, was a three-time Pro Bowler with the San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Running back Frank Gore, taken 65th overall in the third round, currently ranks third on the NFL's all-time career rushing list.

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Defensive end Justin Tuck, drafted 74th overall in the third round, won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants and was a two-time All-Pro.

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Guard Richie Incognito, drafted 81st overall, is a four-time Pro Bowler but has also drawn controversy, including a bullying scandal in 2013.

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Running back/kick returner Darren Sproles, drafted in the fourth round, has the fifth-most career all-purpose yards in the NFL.

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Ryan Fitzpatrick, drafted in the seventh round, started for nine different teams during his long career as a journeyman quarterback.

Supplemental draft selections

For each player selected in the supplemental draft, the drafting team forfeited its pick in that round in the regular draft of the following season.

Notable undrafted players

†	= Pro Bowler

Hall of Famers

• DeMarcus Ware, linebacker from Troy taken 11th overall by the Dallas Cowboys, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

Trades

In the explanations below, (PD) indicates trades completed prior to the start of the draft while (D) denotes trades that took place during the draft.

Round one

Round two

Round three

Round four

Round five

Round six

Round seven