Quarterback Alex Smith was chosen by the NFL's San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 draft. Smith was the first pick overall. He played his college football for the University of Utah. In 2004, he was the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and in 2005 Smith was selected as the Co-MVP of the Fiesta Bowl.

In three years with the 49ers, he has played in 32 games. Smith competed in every regular season game of 2006. That year he completed 58.1-percent of his throws, hitting for 16 touchdowns while tossing 16 interceptions. His QB rating was 74.8. In three years, Smith has completed 435 of 800 passes (54.4-percent), garnering a rating of 63.5 He's thrown 19 touchdowns and 31 interceptions.

The six-foot-four, 210-pound Smith is big, strong-framed and athletic. He moves well and is quick, making him a good scrambler. Smith is a smart player with good instincts. Although intelligent, in his first few seasons he's had trouble reading defenses, giving up too many interceptions. In college, he was able to run-and-shoot but that technique tends to not be effective in the NFL. Although he improved in the 2006 season, he suffered a severe shoulder separation in 2007, which limited his playing time and eventually led to him being put on the injured reserve list on December 11. In 2008, he'll be competing for the starting spot with former Viking QB Shaun Hill.