and will always be connected by their draft year, and they renew that connection on Monday night.
One was picked first overall, the other fell all the way to 24th in an era in which all the picks invited to the NFL Draft were expected to go in or near the top ten.
Still, that fall has worked out pretty well for Aaron Rodgers, and Alex Smith hasn't done poorly for himself either, especially in recent years.
With the two quarterbacks set to lead their teams against one another on Monday night, this week three matchup provides a reminder that the two will always be compared to one another by virtue of that 2005 NFL Draft.