5 QBs taken before Tom Brady: Where are they now? (2022)

#2 - Giovanni Carmazzi (Round 3: Pick 65)

Giovanni Carmazzi #19 (San Francisco 49ers)

Giovanni Carmazzi was the second quarterback drafted in the 2000 NFL Draft after a promising collegiate career with Hofstra.

His entire NFL career was disappointing and was spent entirely as a backup in San Francisco.

He was forced to spend time in NFL Europe with Rhein Fire before the league disbanded.

Perhaps Carmazzi’s best professional period in football came in the Canadian Football League with the BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders.

As of 2022, Carmazzi lives just two hours north of San Francisco and works as a farmer.

He lives a life that is very much off-the-grid and is understood not to own a television. Perhaps he doesn’t want to be reminded of what could have been with Brady’s success.

#1 – Chad Pennington (Round 1: Pick 18)

Miami Dolphins v Dallas Cowboys

The New York Jets thought they had emerged from the 2000 NFL Draft as the team best placed to dominate the AFC East.

Pennington arrived as the premier QB choice in the class, but he would fail to even come close to Brady’s achievements.

Brady would be the scourge of the Jets for the next decade.

Pennington was in the NFL for 11 seasons, playing six playoff games before retiring after a spell with the Miami Dolphins.

While Brady is still playing, Pennington is giving back to football in the United States and is working as the head coach of the South Charleston High School Football Team.