2011 NFL Draft Results: The Best-Case Scenario for Colin Kaepernick

For 49ers fans, the selection of second round QB Colin Kaepernick was like getting an expensive bottle of wine, then being told opening it too soon will spoil the flavor.

The San Francisco fan base has been so parched for solid quarterback play the past decade that there figures to be a groundswell of support amongst the Faithful to forget conventional wisdom and just uncork Kaepernick immediately.

New coach Jim Harbaugh will have to resists any such tides of popular opinion if he hopes to remain the 49ers’ head man for very long.  

There’s no sure-fire way to develop a franchise quarterback, but there are definitely ways not to do it (for example see Smith, Alex).

In Kaepernick’s case, certain steps have to happen in order for him to remain a viable option to restore respectability to the 49ers’ once great QB lineage.

Step 1: No Long-Term Lockout

The latest reports are the lockout injunction will head back to court on June 3rd.

In the meantime, let’s hope Harbaugh has found a way to slip Kaepernick a playbook, or at least sent him an Andrew Luck highlight reel, because the rookie needs to get a peek at how to succeed in Harbaugh’s offense.  

Kaepernick ran the pistol at Nevada and the knock on him is that he’s unproven under center and has accuracy issues throwing from the pocket.

Unfortunately, those are the exact skills needed to be successful in the West Coast offense (which makes you wonder why the San Francisco selected him in the first place, but I digress).

The offseason and training camp will be the workshop for Harbaugh to break down and rebuild Kaepernick’s mechanics.

If the season doesn’t start until mid-September, Harbaugh will have his hands full just learning everyone’s name and number, much less teaching his rookie QB how to take a direct snap.

49ers fans should stop pining so hard for Nmandi Assamough and start burning effigies of Roger Goodell, because a short lockout could be the biggest key to the franchise’s long-term success.

Step 2: Bring In Veteran Quarterback

All signs now point towards Alex Smith returning to the 49ers next season, which is bad news for Kaepernick.

By all accounts Smith is a good guy and a solid teammate, but he’s not exactly cut out to be a mentor, unless it’s giving tips on how to introduce yourself to a new offensive coordinator.

Smith’s tumultuous relationship with 49ers fans further complicates matters. He will be booed the moment he comes out of the tunnel, and as soon as he takes a stupid sack, or fires a pass at the feet of Vernon Davis, the calls for Kaepernick will grow deafening.

San Francisco needs to add a veteran QB, someone in the mold of Matt Hasselbeck or Marc Bulger, who won’t cost draft picks and can share some sage wisdom with the rookie on what it takes to be a successful NFL starter.

No, David Carr does not count, he shouldn’t even be on an roster, much less dispensing advice.

A proven veteran will also provide a one QB buffer between Smith and Kaepernick, ensuring the negative energy that swirls around their old prodigal son doesn’t impact their new one.

Step 3: Ease Him Into The Offense

While Kaepernick’s focus should be adapting his skills to fit in the West Coast system, Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman should be devising ways to use the rookie’s athleticism in their offense.

The 49ers have been painfully predictable on offense the past few season, usually something like: Frank Gore left, Vernon Davis seam route, attempted screen play, punt.  

Throwing Kaepernick into limited sets would force defensive coordinators to at least think twice while they’re putting together their game plan.  

It would also allow the rookie to get on the field and see the speed of NFL defenses, without the pressure of running an offense.

Whether it’s the wildcat, the taser or some other buzz-word-base offense, when you’ve got a QB who ran for 4,000 yards in college, you might as well use him.

Like all players, Kaepernick’s career will ultimately end up as a combination of nature and nurture.

His sheer talent may lead him to succeed no matter how he’s developed, or he may fail in spite of the best case scenario described above.

But smart 49ers fans should be prepared to be patient and dust off their Alex Smith jerseys.