Cincinnati Bengals almost drafted Colin Kaepernick over Andy Dalton
By Bryan Rose
Sitting in the War Room during the 2011 NFL Draft, Cincinnati Bengals owner Paul Brown had his eye on one player – a speedy, relatively unpopular quarterback out of Nevada.
After selecting wide receiver A.J. Green in the first round, the clock was again on the Bengals come the second round. In need of a quarterback, Brown hinted he’d like to draft that Nevada quarterback who just so happened to go by the name of Colin Kaepernick.
But offensive coordinator Jay Gruden had other ideas, suggesting that TCU’s Andy Dalton would better fit what Cincinnati was trying to do:
"Brown wanted Kaepernick, tall and agile, out of Nevada. With the Bengals set to make their second-round pick, each remained on the board. “I like this guy,” Brown said of Kaepernick. “He has unusual mobility.” Brown noted that Kaepernick lacked accuracy, but believed that could be taught.“I want Dalton,” Gruden said. “He fits what I want to do.”“Are you sure?” Brown asked.Gruden said he was."
The Bengals obviously went with Dalton who’s proven to be a very solid NFL quarterback, though at times still struggles with consistency.
Things didn’t go so bad for Kaepernick either, who was drafted one pick later (#37) by the San Francisco 49ers.