No. 2's History: Classes of 2005-07

With Wake Forest, N.C. defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence finishing at No. 2 in the class of 2016 in our final release of the Rivals100 Presented by Under Armour, he finishes as “first runner-up” to No. 1 Rashan Gary. However, we have learned one thing over the years -- No. 2 usually isn’t so bad.

Here’s a look at all the No. 2 prospects in Rivals.com history as Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell puts on his Judge Farrell robes and evaluates if No. 2 was actually better than No. 1 each year.

Next in our series is a look at 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Previous: 2002-2004

WR Patrick Turner – Nashville (Tenn.) Goodpasture

Derrick Williams was the only player ranked ahead of Turner in the Class of 2005, while Turner was ahead of Eugene Monroe, Rey Maualuga and Mark Sanchez in the top 10. Turner took an official visit to USC early in the fall, but then focused on his senior season for the following two months.

While he spoke about taking official visits to LSU, Texas and Miami, he only made it out to Baton Rouge before committing to USC in mid-January. Tennessee did make a serious late push leading up to National Signing Day, but Turner stuck with his commitment to the Trojans.

At USC, Turner enjoyed a successful career, but not to the level of a No. 2 recruit. After catching 12 and 29 receptions during his freshman and sophomore seasons, Turner finished his junior season with 48 receptions for 569 yards and three touchdowns in 2007. He continued to improve during his senior season, totaling 49 receptions for 741 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2008.

After getting selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 87th overall pick in the third Round of the 2009 NFL Draft, Turner spent one season in South Beach before spending three on-and-off seasons with the New York Jets. He last played in the NFL during the 2012 season.

Farrell’s take: It’s amazing to me that Turner didn’t pan out at USC because he was one of the most physically gifted wide receivers I’ve seen in high school. He had the size and great hands and even if he didn’t have 4.4 speed he could have been a dominant flex tight end at the very least. He still had the talent to be a third-rounder in the NFL Draft, and with Williams as possibly our weakest No. 1 in history, Turner still gets the nod here despite an underwhelming career.

Judge Farrell: BETTER

OL Andre Smith – Birmingham (Ala.) Huffman

Percy Harvin was the only player ranked ahead of Smith in the Class of 2006, while Smith was ahead of Chris Wells, Gerald McCoy, Matthew Stafford and C.J. Spiller in the top 10.

Most recruiting fans assumed Smith would end up at Alabama, but he made Tide fans sweat it out while taking official visits to LSU, Miami, USC and Florida during December and January. Finally, in early February, he decided playing close to home was what was most important to him and committed to Alabama.

Playing as a true freshman on the offensive line in the SEC is not considered the norm, but Smith bucked that trend and started all 13 games at left tackle in 2006. He again started every game in 2007, this time earning First-Team All-SEC honors. His game continued to improve during the 2008 season, earning First-Team All-American honors and walking away with the Outland Trophy, annually awarded to the nation’s best interior lineman.

After being declared ineligible for the 2009 Sugar Bowl because of improper dealings with an agent, Smith declared for the NFL Draft a few days later. Drafted by Cincinnati with the sixth overall pick of the 2009 Draft, Smith completed his seventh season with the Bengals this fall.

Farrell’s take: The most physical offensive lineman I have ever seen on film, Smith would simply destroy players two at a time on some plays and block them 10 yards out of bounds on others. His feet, tenacity and technique allowed him to overcome his lack of height to be ranked No. 2 behind Harvin and also earn that first-round grade in the NFL Draft. However, Harvin was one of the top five most dynamic players you’ll ever see out of high school, so even someone of Smith’s caliber can’t compete here.

Judge Farrell: WORSE

RB Joe McKnight – River Ridge (La.) John Curtis

Jimmy Clausen was the only player ranked ahead of McKnight in the Class of 2007, while McKnight was ahead of Eric Berry, Ryan Mallett and Carlos Dunlap in the top 10.

McKnight’s recruiting process was an intense one, which lasted until National Signing Day when he signed with USC. Leaving Louisiana and spurning LSU was not an easy decision for McKnight, but the draw of the Trojans' offense, the thought of being the next Reggie Bush and following his dreams of being a sports broadcaster in Los Angeles were too much for the Tigers to overcome.

With USC, McKnight had a non-eventful freshman season, followed by a sophomore season full of inconsistent play and injuries. His junior season came closer to reaching expectations, as he rushed for 1,014 yards and eight touchdowns while grabbing 22 receptions for 146 yards. However, because of an NCAA investigation due to his use of a car, McKnight sat out the 2009 Emerald Bowl and then declared for the NFL Draft soon after.

McKnight was selected with the 112th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, where he spent three seasons as a running back, on special teams and even at cornerback. He was waived by the Jets prior to the 2013 season after never being able to establish himself on the field.

After being out of football for the entire 2013 season, he was signed by Kansas City in early 2014. McKnight made an early impact for the Chiefs in 2014, but a torn Achilles’ tendon cut his season short. He was not resigned by Kansas City and didn’t play this season.

Farrell’s take: Some had McKnight No. 1 this year and we had Clausen and both didn’t live up to the hype as much as some expected, but that could be because the hype was so high. McKnight was the next Reggie Bush at USC according to most and Clausen was deemed the Lebron James of football by someone not so bright. McKnight had an average career at USC and flamed out of the NFL fairly quickly. Clausen had a better college career and is still in the NFL, albeit as a very unsuccessful starter for a few different teams despite being given many chances. Even with Clausen’s NFL failures, McKnight still didn’t have a better overall career.

Judge Farrell: WORSE