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Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers will forever be judged against each other.

The quarterbacks seemed to be neck-and-neck in the race to become the top pick during the weeks leading up to the NFL draft. The San Francisco 49ers and 22 other teams thought otherwise.

Smith was picked first overall out of Utah by the 49ers and charged with reviving a once-great franchise.

California's Rodgers waited nervously until Green Bay selected him with the 24th pick, pegged by the Packers to one day replace Brett Favre. The outcome did nothing to shake Rodgers' confidence.

"I still think I'm the best quarterback in this draft," Rodgers said.

Rodgers' fall provided the one bit of intrigue in a draft considered short on franchise players, with so many of the teams at the top looking to move down that none could swing a deal.

Running backs and cornerbacks dominated the top 10 picks, with three of each being selected.

For the first time, three running backs were selected in the top five. Auburn's Ronnie Brown went second to Miami, Texas' Cedric Benson went No. 4 to Chicago and Brown's teammate, Carnell Williams, was the fifth pick to Tampa Bay.

The corners came next with Adam "Pacman" Jones of West Virginia going No. 6 to Tennessee. Antrel Rolle of Miami was taken eighth by Minnesota and Washington tapped Carlos Rogers, another Auburn Tiger, on the next selection.

Auburn was shut out of a chance to play for a national championship last season, despite going 13-0. But the Tigers ended up with four first-round draft picks and became the first team to have an entire backfield taken in the first round when quarterback Jason Campbell was picked No. 24 by the Redskins.

"I don't think it's ever happened before and I don't think it will ever happen again," Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said.

Oklahoma, the team that edged out Auburn for a spot in the Bowl Championship Series title game against Southern California - and then got crushed 55-19 by the Trojans - had the most players picked with 11.

Sooners quarterback Jason White wasn't one of them. Fourteen passers were chosen over the 2003 Heisman Trophy winner.

Maurice Clarett was drafted, and much earlier than expected.

The former Ohio State tailback, who sued the NFL last year over its rule prohibiting players from entering the draft until they're three years removed from high school, was selected by Denver with the last pick of the third round.

"He's got great elusiveness, the ability to make some big runs," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said.

Clarett hasn't played a down since scoring the winning touchdown in the 2002 national title game. He had a poor workout at the NFL combine, looked better in a personal workout, but was generally regarded as no better than a fifth-rounder.

"I think it's a happy ending right now," he said. "I'm in a great system, with a great team that runs the ball. I'm here, living a dream right now in the NFL."

Mike Williams, the other player who found himself without a place play after Clarett's case was shot down by an appeals court, is now living his NFL dream, too.

The All-America receiver from Southern California was picked by the Lions with the 10th overall selection. It was something of a surprise because Detroit had picked wide receivers first the past two seasons.

"I'm excited to get back to work," said Williams, who was banned from returning to USC by the NCAA after declaring for the 2004 draft.

The selection of Williams was one of only a few first-round surprises.

The Jacksonville Jaguars caught many off guard by taking Arkansas' Matt Jones with the 21st pick. Jones was a quarterback in college, but is making the move to receiver with his 4.4 speed and 6-foot-6, 241-pound frame.

The New York Jets also caused a stir - as they usually do - among their fans at the draft by picking Ohio State kicker Mike Nugent with their first pick, No. 47 overall in the second round. Only two kickers have been picked earlier since 1982.

The Saints also took a player with an infamous reputation, when they selected former Florida State quarterback Adrian McPherson on Sunday in the fifth round.

McPherson was kicked off the team after his sophomore season and charged with betting on games and a string of other felonies. He played in the Arena Football League last season and enters the NFL with much to prove.

Not anymore than Rodgers, though, whose tumble from possible No. 1 to bottom of first round probably cost him about $10 million.

"I didn't get recruited out of high school," he said. "I had to go to a junior college, nobody really knew about me. I went to Cal with low expectations, didn't start my first four games.

"And I seem to thrive when people tell me I can't do something, I seem to turn that around and prove that I'm worthy."

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