The next big step

The 2005 NFL draft saw nine former California junior college players selected to better the 2004 total by three. Aaron Rogers led the list of former Golden State junior college players, as he was selected No. 24 by the Green Bay Packers.

Rogers was an all-Region 1 player at Butte in 2002 before heading to Cal to play for the Bears. He passed for 2,657 yards and was 164-of-265 in leading Butte to a 10-1 record and a spot in the Northern California championship game in 2002.

The Arizona Cardinals in the second round with the 44th overall pick selected running back J.J. Arrington. Arrington was a 2002 all-Region 3 player at College of the Canyons before heading to Cal. He finished with 135 carries for 769 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2002 and 29 touchdowns overall in two seasons for the Cougars.

Safety Matt Giordano was the third straight former California junior college player from Cal Berkeley to be taken when the Indianapolis Colts selected him with the 135th overall pick in the fourth round. Giordano was a 2001 all-Region 2 selection as a freshman at Fresno City College and a two-time all conference player. He finished with 62 tackles, four fumble recoveries and one interception during his freshman season for the Rams.

Safety Donte Nicholson started a run of three players selected in the fifth round when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him No. 141 overall. Nicholson was a 2002 all-Region 4 player and rated as the #12 junior college player in America by Rivals.com coming out of Mt. San Antonio College before landing at Oklahoma. He finished with 85 tackles, 4 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries for the Mounties in 2002.

Fullback Justin Green went next with the 158th overall pick to the Baltimore Ravens. Green played at San Diego Mesa College in 2002 before heading to play at Montana. He finished with 874 yards on 164 carries and 7 touchdowns and was the team co-MVP in 2002 for the Olympians.

Linebacker Lance Mitchell finished off the fifth round selections from the California ranks when the Arizona Cardinals selected him with the 168 overall selection. Mitchell was a 2001 all-Region 1 player at City College of San Francisco before heading to Oklahoma to play for the Sooners. He finished with 80 tackles and five sacks in 2001 and led San Francisco to two straight state championships and mythical national championships.

Defensive end Ryan Riddle became the fourth California JUCO player from Cal to be selected when the Oakland Raiders selected him in the sixth round with the 212th overall pick. Riddle was a 2002 all-Region 4 player at El Camino College before heading to Berkeley. He finished with 12 sacks, three blocked field goals and two blocked punts in 2002 for the Warriors.

Wide receiver Marcus Maxwell was the first of two seventh round picks as the Detroit Lions selected him 223rd overall. Maxwell played at Diablo Valley College in 2002 and was an all-Golden Gate Conference player before transferring to Oregon. He finished with 40 catches for 601 yards and seven touchdowns in 2002 for the Vikings.

Defensive tackle Jonathan Fanene rounded out the California junior college picks when the Cincinnati Bengals selected him 233rd overall in the seventh round. Fanene played at College of the Canyons and was an all-Region 3 player in 2001 before heading to Utah to play for the Utes. He finished with 14 sacks and 65 tackles as a sophomore in leading the Cougars to the Western States Bowl.

FIVE STAR JUCO WR CATCHES ON

Rivals.com ranked Larry Brackins as the No. 1 overall junior college player in the nation, and for a number of different reasons he did not play Division I football. But that's more than all right.

Brackins, who is 6-foot-4 ½ and 205 pounds, was picked in the fifth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the No. 155 overall pick. He was projected by many to go in the seventh round, but the Bucs feel like they got a heck of a steal.

"He's a big guy who can run, has really good hang time and makes some splash plays in every game," Tampa Bay coach John Gruden told the St. Petersburg Times.

"He's good after the catch, sometimes great. He's an intriguing guy we like and have been after for some time."

According to the Times, only three players in the NFL last season were originally drafted out of junior college - Bucs defensive back Juran Bolden was one - and all three played in the Canadian Football League before getting to the NFL. Another was Joe Horn, who played for Bucs receivers coach Richard Mann and quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett in Kansas City.