QB No. 15: Colin Kaepernick

A lot of people may be up in arms over this ranking. Kaepernick dazzled upon taking over the 49ers QB job, leading them not only to the playoffs, but to the Super Bowl. All he did was make plays, adding a dynamic element to the 49ers that seemingly made them unstoppable. He set the single-game record for most rushing yards by a QB in the Divisional round of the playoffs against the Green Bay Packers with 181 yards. So why the low ranking?

Allow me to be skeptical for a minute. I'd like to use this column to do a comparison between Kaepernick and another "running" QB you might be familiar with.

Player A: In 8 games: 1,725 yards, 10 TD, 3 INT, 63% completion, 304 rush yards, and 3 Rush TD
Player B: In 9 games: 2,168 yards, 14 TD, 4 INT, 58% completion, 431 rush yards, and 5 Rush TD

Player A is Kaepernick. Player B is Cam Newton, a guy many believe had a down year last year, and a QB that Jaws put at No. 18 on his list. Point of order: Newton's numbers are the final 9 games of his season, when most people said he looked like Cam from his rookie season again. The accuracy is something that Kaepernick holds an advantage in, but other than that, I don't see anything definitive besides straight-line speed, which I don't believe matters too much when comparing these quarterbacks.

My point is that I think people are being "prisoners of the moment". They remember Kaepernick because he took over a Super Bowl contender, (yes with Alex Smith they were contenders anyway), played well, and appeared in a Super Bowl. What does Cam Newton look like in the minds of many? "A guy who didn't play as well as he did in his rookie season, didn't win many games for the Panthers, and we stopped caring about Cam around December."I'm not a believer in elevating a quarterback just because he's surrounded by great talent, unless he absolutely deserves it. See Matt Schaub

From what I see, Cam matches up very favorably with Kaepernick. He doesn't nearly have the same talent level around him as Kaepernick does. Most believe the Panthers are quite awful. Yet, Cam managed to lead the Panthers to 6 wins over their final 9 games, including wins against the Redskins, Falcons, and Saints in a shootout to end the year. It wasn't all gravy for Kaepernick last year. Remember that Sunday night game against the Seahawks? Of course you do! The Rams and Cardinals gave him fits as well. And then the playoffs arrive and everyone loses their minds when they see what Kaepernick did to the Packers and Falcons. Both those defenses, especially the Packers, were HORRIBLE! What happenned when he faced a stout, prideful defense in Ray's final ride, in the Super Bowl?

Now I like Kaepernick. I think he is a special talent. But part of me, ok most of me, says "alright do it again for a full season." He hasn't even played a full year, and people are moving him into the top ten quarterbacks. And why? Because that team around him was a Super Bowl team? All I'm saying is give him some more time. If he plays the same way in 2013, then I'll be happy to move him up next season.

Projections: 3,900 yards, 24 TD, 11 INT, 500 rush yards, and 4 Rush TD