Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Recapping Each Quarterback Drafted Since 2000

By Peter Panacy

October 5, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7, left) shakes hands with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11, right) after the game at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers defeated the Chiefs 22-17. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
October 5, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7, left) shakes hands with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11, right) after the game at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers defeated the Chiefs 22-17. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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October 5, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh (left) shakes hands with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11, right) after the game at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers defeated the Chiefs 22-17. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
October 5, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh (left) shakes hands with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11, right) after the game at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers defeated the Chiefs 22-17. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Alex Smith

2005 NFL Draft, Round 1, No. 1 Overall

Ah, yes. The pick that still resonates among 49ers fans — Alex Smith instead of now-Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers.

Then-head coach Mike Nolan had this decision to make. And years later, Rodgers explained — via CBS Sports — why Smith ended up going to San Francisco instead.

“The story that I heard, and I don’t know if it’s true or not, was that Mike Nolan said that when he saw Alex open the car door for his mom, he knew that was the quarterback he wanted,” Rodgers said. “I was at lunch with [the 49ers]. My mom wasn’t there. My dad wasn’t there.”

Smith was thrown into the fire right away, as 49ers fans can recall. The supporting cast around him was bad, and even Nolan turned his back on the No. 1 overall pick from 2005 when injuries began to take their toll.

It also didn’t help Smith had to work under a slew of offensive coordinators, each with different schemes and offenses, which certainly hindered the quarterback’s development.

Things never clicked for Smith until former 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh took over in 2011.

While Smith never emerged as an elite-caliber quarterback, he did manage to lead the Niners to that year’s NFC Championship game and a strong start to the 2012 season as well.

But then Smith suffered that concussion, which set the stage for Colin Kaepernick to take over.

San Francisco traded away Smith to the Kansas City Chiefs the following offseason, where he has remained effective… not great.

Meanwhile, Rodgers is a future Hall of Famer, and his Packers are in the playoffs every year.