2011 NFL Draft

[SkinzWin]

Originally Posted by CultBrennan59

I would respect Kaepernicks game more if he did these great numbers against a conference that was good, not the WAC, you know who also put great numbers against the WAC..Pineapple Jesus. On a similar note who was the last good WAC QB in the NFL?

I would refute this point but it has already been done for me by others. I don't think that you can respect a player less automatically just because he has not played in a power conference. My case in point. Let's compare Cam Newton to Kaepernick...

Cam Newton: 6'6' 250 lbs. Backup at Florida. Transfers to Binn College (JUCO). Transfers to Auburn for one season. Newton is a physical freak. He can run and extend the play and his stats this season were exceptionally good. 66.1% Completion Percentage. 2854 Yards. 30 TD. 7 INT. He has a history of academic cheating, and stealing. Seen as a head case with a big star mentality. Newton's knock besides this is that he had one year as a starter in a major college football setting.


Colin Kaepernick: 6'6' 225 lbs. 4 year starter out of Nevada. Most statistical numbers improved each of his four year. 64.9% Completion Percentage. 3022 Yards. 21 TD. 8 INT. Kaepernick has had four years to improve, and has, and while he is not as much of a physical freak as Newton, he has a ton of intangibles and upside, maybe more than anyone else, without the apparent headaches of premadonnaism and inflated egos that come with someone like Newton.

My point is this. Is Kaepernick as good as Newton? No. I think he could be and he has shown steady improvement. Is the ceiling higher for Newton? Probably, but it also could be a lot closer for Newton being a screw up IMO. If a guy like this had these similar skill and intangibles that people seem to covet, why take the risk on the ego of someone like Newton, when you can get virtually the same package at a lower cost?

Just because Newton went to Auburn and Kaepernick went to Nevada doesn't mean Newton is a hugely more talented player (albeit I will concede I think he does have more raw talent than Kaepernick). It simply means that scouts didn't see him like they did Newton. The tables could be turned and Kaepernick could have been recruited by a power conference. Their numbers are very similar statistically. I think as others have said, too many people take too much into account when looking at what conference a player was in and what teams they played against, instead of their athletic ability and skill sets.

Sincerely,
The KaepKrusader