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GREEN BAY, Wis. -- On the 10th anniversary of the Green Bay Packers' decision to pick Aaron Rodgers at No. 24 overall in the 2015 draft, let's a play the what-if game. What if general manager Ted Thompson had passed on Rodgers? Who would be the Packers' quarterback today?  Thompson almost certainly would have been forced to draft a quarterback, likely in the first round, within the next three years. And his choices would not have been anywhere near as good as they were with Rodgers, who, of course, has two MVPs and a Super Bowl to his credit.
In 2006, the three first-round quarterbacks were Vince Young (No. 3 overall to the Tennessee Titans), Matt Leinart (No. 10 overall to the Arizona Cardinals) and Jay Cutler (No. 11 overall to the Denver Broncos). The Packers picked fifth that year, when they took linebacker A.J. Hawk, so they would have been able to take Leinart or Cutler. In 2007, the Oakland Raiders took JaMarcus Russell first overall. The only other first-round quarterback was Brady Quinn, who went 22nd to the Cleveland Browns. The Packers picked 16th and took defensive tackle Justin Harrell. The 2008 quarterback class, at least at the top, was better with first-rounders Matt Ryan (No. 3 overall to the Atlanta Falcons) and Joe Flacco (No. 18 to the Baltimore Ravens), but the Packers held the 30th pick that year (which they traded out of and moved back to take Jordy Nelson early in the second round), so barring a trade up they wouldn't have had a shot at either Ryan or Flacco. Here's the full list of quarterbacks taken in those three drafts: 2006: Young, Leinart, Cutler, Kellen Clemens (second round), Tarvaris Jackson (second round), Charlie Whitehurst (third round), Brodie Croyle (third round), Ingle Martin (fifth round), Omar Jacobs (fifth round), Reggie McNeal (sixth round), Bruce Gradkowski (sixth round), D.J. Shockley (seventh round). 2007: Russell, Quinn, Kevin Kolb (second round), John Beck (second round), Drew Stanton (second round), Trent Edwards (third round), Isaiah Stanback (fourth round), Jeff Rowe (fifth round), Troy Smith (fifth round), Jordan Palmer (sixth round), Tyler Thigpen (seventh round). 2008: Ryan, Flacco, Brian Brohm (second round), Chad Henne (second round), Kevin O’Connell (third round), John David Booty (fifth round), Dennis Dixon (fifth round), Josh Johnson (fifth round), Erik Ainge (fifth round), Colt Brennan (sixth round), Andre' Woodson (sixth round), Matt Flynn (seventh round), Alex Brink (seventh round).
In all, there have been 123 quarterbacks drafted since Rodgers was picked, and only four of them -- Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Andy Dalton and Matt Ryan -- have been selected to multiple Pro Bowls. None has won the MVP.
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