2005 Draft Revisited - Five Picks That Have Paid Off From Round 1

Next time you look back at the 2005 NFL Draft, shield your eyes from the horror that was Round 1. The notorious round was a personnel minefield that most teams would love to forget about. Certainly, it had its share of misses, but it also produced several elite players. Football Review Daily reviews five that are still relevant.

Braylon Edwards – Pick 3 – Cleveland Browns
Braylon continued the long-standing tradition of breakout performances for wide receivers in year three of their NFL careers. 80 receptions for 1289 yards plus 16 TDs add up to an AFC Pro Bowl invitation. Thank you, Braylon, for keeping the WR Year 3 Rule safe and sound.

DeMarcus Ware – Pick 11 – Dallas Cowboys
Bill Parcells’ evaluation skills gained more notoriety with this selection at pick eleven. Ware’s speed off the edge and overall athleticism allowed the LB to rack up 33.5 sacks to date in Dallas.

Shawne Merriman – Pick 12 – San Diego Chargers
Equally impressive as Ware when it comes to pressuring the QB, Merriman’s career sack total equals 39.5. Cowboy head coach Wade Phillips has been fortunate enough to coach both of these LBs.

Derrick Johnson – Pick 15 – Kansas City Chiefs
221 solo tackles, 10.5 sacks, 2 Interceptions, and 7 forced fumbles are solid enough stats for a three year period. The University of Texas product has shown that he belongs in the league.

Luis Castillo – Pick 28 – San Diego Chargers
Off-field issues caused the defensive lineman's stock to fall on draft day similar to Warren Sapp's situation several years prior. Castillo has produced Sappian numbers in his three years with the ‘Bolts including 13 total sacks.

Football Review Daily wanted to end this piece talking about five who haven’t lived up to their first round selections; are you listening Mr. Williams? But any article where you use the word Sappian in it should always end on a positive note…

Derek Anderson threw for 3787 yards and 29 TDs last season. Not too shabby for the 213th selection in the 2005 NFL Draft.