The teams (other than the Panthers) that selected quarterbacks in the first round of the 2011 draft already regret not taking Colin Kaepernick instead. Ron Jaworski of ESPN has given them reason to regret their decision even more.
“Colin Kaepernick could be one of the greatest quarterbacks ever,” Jaworski said on ESPN. “I love his skill set. He throws with accuracy. And in today’s NFL you have to have mobility. He’s got all those attributes.”
Kaepernick remained humble when discussing the accolades from Jaworski.
“I’m working,” Kaepernick told reporters on Wednesday. “To me, it’s a great honor that he said that, very flattered by it. But at the same time, I haven’t played a full season yet.”
Still, he’s played enough to surely make the Titans wish they’d taken Kaepernick instead of Jake Locker, the Jags wish they’d taken Kaepernick instead of Blaine Gabbert, and the Vikings wish they’d taken Kaepernick instead of Christian Ponder. And to make the 49ers glad they stopped Kaepernick’s slide at No. 36.
Even the team that took Andy Dalton one spot before Kaepernick may quietly have some regrets. While the Bengals likely will be pretty good this year with Dalton at the helm, a one-two punch of A.J. Green and Colin Kaepernick from the first two rounds of the 2011 draft would have laid the foundation for a perennial powerhouse.
The Niners now have the pieces in place to be that every-year Super Bowl contender, even without a healthy, deep, and talented corps of wide receivers.