A Saturday morning post from MDS mentioned Andy Dalton of TCU as a second-round possibility for the Colts as Peyton Manning’s “window” begins to close at age 35. The Colts worked out Dalton last Monday.
On Friday, the Colts worked out Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick. Like Dalton, Kaepernick is regarded as a second-round prospect who could sneak into round one if a quarterback-needy team trades up.
According to a league source, the Colts are one of three AFC South teams showing significant interest in Kaepernick. Jaguars quarterbacks coach Mike Sheppard spent multiple hours privately with Kaepernick following Nevada’s March 24 Pro Day, doing “film and board work.” The Jaguars have the 16th and 49th overall picks.
The Titans have shown the most interest, however. They put Kaepernick through a private workout on March 29, and the Titans hosted him for a team-facility visit on April 4.
The league source believes Tennessee is giving Kaepernick serious consideration with the 39th overall pick in the draft.
“I’m hearing that the Titans at 39 could be the pick [for Kaepernick],” the source told PFT. “Unless a team grabs him prior to that. And the possibility of a team trading into the second half of the first round for Kaepernick is very real.”
The source also expects Kaepernick to be drafted before Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett.
This all lends credence to belief in the draftnik community that Kaepernick’s stock is on the rise.
Doug Farrar of Football Outsiders recently compared the four-year college starter’s potential climb to that of Tyson Alualu last year, predicting Kaepernick will be “this year’s out-of-the-box first-rounder” and likening his measurables and intangibles to Josh Freeman’s.
Citing “key personnel guys,” ex-NFL scout Dave Razzano has heard that Kaepernick is “inching into [the] late first round.” Razzano says Kaepernick “might be the cream” of this year’s quarterback crop and, after watching film of the 2010 college season, believes Kaepernick has “the best deep accuracy in the draft.”
This past week, NFL Network’s Mike Mayock compared Kaepernick to Tim Tebow, but says he’s “probably a better athlete . . . with a rifle for an arm.” Tebow was the 25th pick in last year’s draft.
NFL.com’s Albert Breer wrote on April 1 that Kaepernick could “merit late first-round consideration,” and be drafted before both Mallett and Washington quarterback Jake Locker.