San Francisco 49ers: Ranking 10 Best Players on Offense in 2016

No. 6 – Colin Kaepernick

For all Kaepernick’s faults there can be no denying that, when he is on form, he can be close to unstoppable.

The problem is that Kaepernick has arguably not been truly at his best since the 49ers’ defeat to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game in 2014.

Kaepernick was average at best in the final season under Jim Harbaugh and quickly had his confidence shattered under Jim Tomsula in 2015, transforming into a player so scared of turnovers that he seemed unwilling to test the water downfield.

San Francisco and Kaepernick are stuck with each other after his request for a trade another team proved fruitless. However, Kaepernick may be staying with the right coach to restore his belief in Kelly who, per CBS Sports’ Benjamin Allbright, prefers him to Gabbert.

There are a number of reasons why Kelly should be a fan of Kaepernick, who has not yet been cleared to return to practice following a series of offseason surgeries – per CSN Bay Area’s Mindi Bach.

He has a rocket for an arm, can make throws on the run, has what it takes to make a devastating impact with his legs and is big enough that he rarely looks like getting injured when he takes off.

Kaepernick, of course, does have a series of issues. He doesn’t throw with touch well, struggles in the pocket and fails to consistently go through his progressions – leading him to force passes into tight windows and commit turnovers.

Despite his deficiencies, Kaepernick has history on his side having led the 49ers to the Super Bowl and NFC Championship game in successive seasons. Gabbert does not have such success under his belt and, if Kelly can rebuild Kaepernick’s confidence, there is no question he is a better candidate to lead the offense going forward.

Next: No. 5