Fansided

10 biggest what-ifs in NFL Draft history

By Russell S. Baxter

BALTIMORE, MD - CIRCA 2001: Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens reacts during an NFL football game circa 2001 at PNINet Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. Lewis played for the Ravens from 1996-2012 (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - CIRCA 2001: Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens reacts during an NFL football game circa 2001 at PNINet Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. Lewis played for the Ravens from 1996-2012 (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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SAN DIEGO, CA – DECEMBER 08: Eli Manning
SAN DIEGO, CA – DECEMBER 08: Eli Manning /

3. Chargers and Giants don’t swap draft rights to Philip Rivers and Eli Manning (2004)

In 2004, the San Diego Chargers owned the first overall pick in the draft. The popular choice to go No. 1 that year was Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, the younger brother of signal-caller Peyton Manning of the Colts.

The scuttlebutt was that former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, the father of both players, did not want Eli to join the Chargers. A few years ago (via the Rich Eisen Show), Archie set the record straight. “It was a decision that Eli and (agent) Tom Condon kind of made, but Eli ultimately pulled the trigger on that and that’s what he, doing his due diligence, decided to do…”

In any case, Chargers’ general manager A.J. Smith chose Eli Manning first overall. Three picks later, the New York Giants opted for North Carolina State signal-caller Philip Rivers. Soon afterward, the two teams flip-flop the right to each player and the Chargers got so much more in the trade.

Both Manning and Rivers enjoyed long and excellent careers. Of course, the former was at the controls for a pair of Super Bowl wins over the Patriots, winning MVP honors in both victories. The Chargers reached the AFC title game in 2007 only to lose to the then-unbeaten Pats. Could Rivers have done what Manning did with Big Blue?

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