San Francisco 49ers: Is Colin Kaepernick a Top-10 Quarterback?
Jan 20, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) warms up prior to the NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
ESPN analyst Ron Jaworksi ranked San Francisco 49ers’ QB Colin Kaepernick #11 overall in his annual ranking of QBs in the NFL. With 10 starts under his belt, Kaepernick owns a 62% career completion percentage with 10 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Entering into his third year in the league, Kaepernick only took the reigns of starting QB last season, and he enters his first training camp as the starter. According to Jaworski, Kaepernick is on the cusp of being a top 10 QB, but is he already there?
Rodgers, Brady, Peyton and Eli Manning, Brees, Roethlisberger, and Flacco
What do all the aforementioned QBs have in common? They all have a Super Bowl ring, or two. Colin Kaepernick led the 49ers’ offense to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1995. While Kaepernick and the 49ers played a resilient second half, they ultimately came up short.
Kaepernick has the arm, legs, and willpower to carry the 49ers offense to another Super Bowl appearance, in fact, some analysts predict the 49ers to return to the Super Bowl this upcoming season. If I was a betting man, I’d bet that Kaepernick and the 49ers make another Super Bowl appearance or two. However, there are no guarantees in the league with injuries/suspensions bound to happen any minute and the competition rising.
Top 10 QB, top 10 offense?
It’s debatable whether Kaepernick is a top 10 QB. However, there is no question the 49ers have a top-5 group of running backs and a top-5 if not the best offensive line. The loss of Michael Crabtree hurts the wide receiving corps, however, Kaepernick will do just fine with Anquan Boldin, Mario Manningham, Kyle Williams, and Vernon Davis. Kaepernick enters this training camp as the first-team starting QB. This offseason, he has worked out with young wideouts A.J. Jenkins and Ricardo Lockette. With all this said, Kaepernick is surrounded by greatness, and if he is currently not a top-10 QB, he has the tools around him to become one.
Aaron Rodgers sat on the bench for three seasons, Kaepernick sat on the bench for…
Albeit, Rodgers sat on the bench and was a backup to future hall-of-famer Brett Favre. Kaepernick sat on the bench behind Alex Smith (who is ranked #20 on Jaws’ list). Kaepernick is ready, and the time he spent on the bench will do wonders in his progression as a QB. While other young QBs may have encountered the “Sophomore Slump”, Kaepernick will be ready to improve upon his first season as a starter because he’s mastered or will master Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman’s offense.
Finally, on a side note, it was just announced today that Kaepernick has the top-selling NFL jersey, not bad for the 11th ranked QB in the league. Kaepernick’s #1 ranked jersey in terms of sales tops Russell Wilson, Robert Griffin III, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers, all the QBs who made the top-10 in jersey sales. Kaepernick may not be in Jaws’ top-10 QB list, but he has won over the fans in jersey sales, and oh, did I mention, his nude shot on ESPN The Magazine Body Issue.