Colin Kaepernick Scouting Report

Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada, 6'5 225 lbs

SKILLS

Don't these 2 QBs just look similar?

Size/Arm Strength: 9.5 - Extremely gifted as an athlete, Colin Kaepernick's long and lean frame is reminiscent of Vince Young, former University of Texas Longhorn and current NFL player. Needs to add some weight to his skinny frame, but nonetheless he has ideal size for a quarterback in the NFL.

Kaepernick competed at the annual summer passing camp, the Peyton Manning Passing Academy last summer in preparations for his senior season, catching the eye of former Super Bowl winner and Pro-Bowl quarterback Peyton Manning and younger brother Eli Manning, also a Super Bowl winer and Pro-Bowler. The two brothers "giggled" at how much velocity and zip there was to Colin Kaepernick's ball. His arm strength might've been the most impressive they had ever seen. These are two of the NFL's best saying this. 


Even more so following the Senior Bowl, Colin Kaepernick's ability really came into national focus. 

Colin K. impressed the Manning Brothers

Here is what NFL Draft Scout said following their evaluation of Colin Kaepernick's senior bowl week, 

"Displaying the arm strength, accuracy and touch to be an early round pick, Kaepernick played side by side with Washington's Jake Locker... and was the more impressive thrower." 

My position on Jake Locker is well documented within this site, but this high of praise for Kaepernick's ability is universal among scouts involved with the draft. 

I recently spoke with and have gotten to know better Eric Galko from Optimum Scouting. A respectable and knowledgable draft expert, Eric could not help but listen in on an NFL scout talking about Colin Kaepernick. In regards to what the scout said, 

"Heard on plane back from scout that Kaepernick could go as high as 2nd round! I think Mia, Ten, Min most interested; I think he's a project."

 I usually smirk and give little credence when draft bloggers mention sources or scouts, but seeing how Eric personally was onboard a plane with the scout, I am convinced that the report is firm. To the point, if Kaepernick continues to show this kind of improvement in the NFL Combine, his stock will only go higher. The closer and closer we get to April 28th, the more possible it becomes for Colin Kaepernick to get drafted in the late first round area. 

Accuracy: 7 – In each progressive year, Colin Kaepernick improved his completion percentage, finishing the 2010 season with a 64.9 completion percentage (53% freshman year, 54% sophomore year, and 58% junior year). 

Colin K. and his delivery

Despite the awkward delivery, Kaepernick's ability to fit the ball in tight windows is often overlooked. His high throwing plane is what allows Colin to make throws over linebackers but underneath the safety. In the NFL he won't get away with forcing throws over the middle due to much more talented linebackers, however I really do feel throwing above the reach of linebackers is one of Colin Kaepernick's strong attributes as a quarterback. 

In looking over Colin Kaepernick's games this season, he flashed an ability to make solid throws outside of the numbers. He is inconsistent with his ball placement on these throws, but he does a good job of minimizing turnovers. That being said, he This ability dovetails off of Kaepernick's huge arm and the velocity he is able to put behind the football. 

The consensus concern is Kaepernick's accuracy vertical and deep down the field. Kap was never asked to throw many "go routes" because of a option run, spread attack offense. Kaepernick excelled in the short passing game, and was particularly effective throwing intermediate passes outside of the numbers. The flashes of greatness are quite evident in the big plays and highlights Colin Kaepernick put on display throughout his career. The stats do not lie about his ability to produce. The thing going forward will be his consistency in being accurate, cleaning up of technique, and making a label for himself. Is he just a "developmental project"? Or can he convince an NFL team that he can come in and compete early on? 

Throwing Mechanics/Footwork: 5 – This is the area with the most fluctuation in evaluation. You have solid junior and senior tape on Colin Kaepernick performance wise, but throwing mechanics and footwork are glaring weaknesses. Major improvement and development are musts for the kid. At the same token, as an evaluator for the draft, you have to take into consideration the work, effort, and results from Kaepernick's pre-draft workouts, senior bowl and combine which is coming up this weekend. 

When I break down Colin's throwing motion, he surprisingly gets the ball out very quickly. His non-throwing arm, the lead hand is what throws people off. He pronates his arm straight forward in an unorthodox manner, but behind that cover he rears the ball back and fires it out with great velocity. I found out that this quick delivery however came in spurts. Colin gets into trouble when he puts in a windup to his throws. This can be attributed to his former days as a baseball player (actually drafted by the Cubs in '09). Nevertheless his delivery needs work, but somehow is effective. 

Colin's release and spin of the ball is quite exceptional. His clean, tight spiral was evident in senior bowl practices. This release combined with his velocity, arm strength, and flashes of accuracy intrigue talent evaluators. The ceiling for Colin Kaepernick in the 2011 NFL Draft is as high as any quarterback available. 

Colin K., next surprise 1st rounder?

Mobility/Athleticism: 10 - In each of his final 3 seasons at Nevada, Colin Kaepernick averaged more than 7 yards per rush, compiled more than 1,100 yards rushing, and scored 16 or more touchdowns. His final year in 2010, Colin did what only 2 other modern quarterbacks have done. He, along with Tim Tebow, and Cam Newton are the only quarterbacks to throw for 20 or more touchdowns, and run for 20 or more touchdowns. The 20-20 club so to speak. 


Kaepernick's athleticism as mentioned earlier in this report, is remarkable. At 6'5 and 225 lbs, Colin Kaepernick runs like a deer; he is a long strider, and is very smooth in open space. His top end speed is what separates Colin Kaepernick; Colin is very similar to Cam Newton in that both hvae the ability to really turn on the jets after hitting the second and third levels of a defense (linebackers and safeties). On tape, you can just see his 4.5 speed as he blows by safeties and cornerbacks en route to a long touchdown run. His combine results need to provide backing for the claims that he can run a sub 4.5 40 time. 


The escapability factor, a growing trait necessary at the NFL level, is another positive to Kap's game. Particularly against Boise State in their home upset win, Colin Kaepernick was able to consistently avoid the pressure, move around comfortably inside and outside the pocket, and throw the ball accurately downfield. Any time he needed to come up with a big play, he made it. This ability to escape pressure also leads to another plus for Kap, as he is an accurate passer while on the move. His arm strength and velocity allows him to make NFL caliber throws down the sidelines and outside the numbers. 

ANALYSIS

Best fit: Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings; as mentioned before all three are interested. All three teams have strong receiving corps, and all three most definitely need starting quarterbacks. Steam will come up around April about HOW interested these teams may or may not be, and that is something I will be closely following and updating on. 

X-Factor: How will he fair at the combine, competing against top NFL Draft prospects Cam Newton, Jake Locker, Ryan Mallett, and Christian Ponder? Will he come in a more polished quarterback? Or will the stigma of being a developmental player stick with him? 


The interviewing process for Colin Kaepernick will also be a huge deciding factor in where he gets drafted. Everyone knows how good of a kid Kaepernick is, but what needs to be determined for certain is whether or not his football IQ is up to par. "Chalk talk" with NFL teams will likely be the center of interviewing for Kaepernick. 

"Chalk talk"

Playing in a Pistol offense Colin Kaepernick will be transitioning to a completely different offensive scheme at the pro level, regardless of who drafts him. His biggest problem at times, is his decision making, as he will force throws towards his primary receiver. He rarely went through difficult passer progression, so this will be a big key for teams interested in drafting Colin Kaepernick. The upside and physical attributes warrant high draft value, but the unpolished passing ability will draw concerns. Intangibles of football IQ, character, and personal drive will have to be the overriding factors for Colin Kaepernick if he expects to get drafted at the end of round 1.

Where he will be picked: Late 1st to Mid 2nd Round

Where he should be picked: Early 2nd Round

NFL Comparison: Vince Young, QB, Texas

Week 1 Thoughts

After week one, It is clear that once again we should expect a season full of surprises and upsets. We saw some new players make some great first impressions and some old players showing that they can still play.

5 Things That Surprised Me During Week 1:

1. Arian Foster, Houston Texans – Foster had an unbelievable game. Starting for only his second game as a pro, he almost matched his career total in rushing yards going for 231 yards on 33 carries and scoring 3 touchdowns. Foster had great blocking up front, but displayed great vision and acceleration to make good runs into great runs. I don’t think he will go for 231 yards again in week two, but I think he could put up some good numbers against the Redskins especially with Albert Haynesworth still pouting.

2. Calvin Johnson’s catch not being ruled a touchdown – it still does not make sense to me. Johnson lands, supports himself, and roles over and the ball come out after all that. I understand that the rule has to be written like that, so it is less subjective, but that is the type of play that is only going to be over turned after watching the replay. The difference between this and the tuck rule, which everyone is comparing it to, is that I think the tuck rule was just a bad rule in the first place. I think this was a catch based on the rules. When the play is seen at full speed pretty much everyone thought that it was a catch. When they put it in slow-motion it made it look a lot less fluid and stable than it actually was. The ball pops out after the last part of his body hits the ground (the hand that has been holding the ball firmly). At what point can the ball come out and still be ruled a catch? Replay for those who have not seen it:

3. The Bengals came out really flat – You have to give a lot of credit to the Patriots, they looked very sharp, but the winners of the AFC North division last year, looked awful. What made the Bengals so good last year was their defense and run game; both were terrible in the first half. I thought the Bengals could have a special team this year with the addition of new pieces on offense. The second half you saw what the new additions in the passing games could do but for this team to be successful there team is going to have to come out and play with a little more energy than they did.

4. Pretty funny Clip with Ochocinco getting made fun of (watch until the 2:00 mark)
 

5. The Saints and Vikings only scored a total of 23 points – With two of the best offenses from last year battling it out, I thought it would be a shootout much like the AFC Championship game from last year. It still ended up being a great game but it was a field position game. I knew the Saints could win shootouts, but if they can start winning defensive games, what team is going to beat them?


3 Things That I Expected:

1. Playing games in Kansas City will be tough – Although I have never been to an NFL game other than in Foxboro, the two places I always feel like have a crazy atmosphere when I watch them on TV (I don’t count domes) are Kansas City and Denver. There stadiums always seem to be going nuts. It is like a college atmosphere at their stadiums for big games. I expect playing at either place will be very tough for opponents once again like it was for the Chargers on Monday night, (the rain probably helped too).

2. Everyone’s Cinderella team, the Oakland Raiders, did not look good – Yeah the Raiders got rid of QB JaMarcus Russell, but there were a lot more problems on that team than just the QB that people were forgetting. For starters, they do not have a great offensive line (4 sacks 2 fumbles on new QB Jason Campbell in game 1), and they do not have any proven running back or receivers. Also, their defense is young and unproven.

3. Tim Tebow’s first game in the NFL came and went without a splash – Tebow had 2 rushes for 2 yards. I think it probably would have been a good idea for people to wait 1 or 2 years before investing in his #1 selling jersey, because I don’t think he will be seeing the field too much this year.

Tim Tebow Signs with Broncos

Tim Tebow just signed a five year, $11.25 million contract with the Denver Broncos. The contract is worth a maximum of $33 million.

Prediction: Tebow gets on the field this year whether it be in wildcat formations, Florida-esque formations or goaline situations, but he will not be a starter this year or the next.

I like Tim Tebow I just do not think he will end up being the player the Broncos want him to be.

My Pre-draft analysis sums it up:

#6 rated QB- Tim Tebow, Florida

Biggest Strength: All the intangibles, a winner.

Biggest Question: Does his game translate in to the NFL?

Where he will go: 1^st-2^nd round. Tim Tebow is probably the most talked about player in this draft… and he is not even a solid first round pick. Because he is so talked about and hyped some team is going to take the risk on him. It happens every year that some player has a big name or does really well at the combine and goes a lot earlier then they should.

Where he should go/ prediction: 4^th round. If he had the exact same skill set and played for a small division one team, he would not even be considered in the first round. I would much rather have a player like QB Pat White from last year, a player with a lot more talent and upside. I like the way Tebow plays; I just think he is over valued. I would draft him as an H-back and not as a QB.

NFL Comparison: Byron Leftwich