Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan are the not-yet-ranked NFL quarterbacks for ESPN's Ron Jaworski to order in his annual evaluation of the position.
2013 Jaworski QB Rankings
NFC West starters Colin Kaepernick (11th), Russell Wilson (12th), Sam Bradford (22nd) and Carson Palmer (23rd) give the division firm footing for a continued climb.
Let's look at the rankings from another angle. How many of the listed and unlisted quarterbacks would NFC West teams feel comfortable acquiring in exchange for their current quarterbacks?
Just a guess, but I don't think the San Francisco 49ers or Seattle Seahawks would trade Kaepernick or Wilson for any quarterbacks not named Rodgers or Andrew Luck. Some of the other veteran quarterbacks might be better right now, but they're older players with smaller windows for production.
ESPN has put together a page featuring transcripts with Jaworski's on-air comments regarding each of the players he has ranked to this point. Jaworski has so far made 20 references to the pocket in his evaluations, a reflection of how much he values a quarterback's ability to operate efficiently from there. Accuracy and arm strength are also recurring themes.
Kaepernick ranked second behind Peyton Manning in Total QBR from inside the pocket last season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Wilson was ninth, Bradford was 16th and Palmer was 28th. Outside the pocket, Palmer was second, Wilson was fourth, Kaepernick was 21st, Bradford was 24th. Wait, Palmer and Manning were effective players from outside the pocket? That runs counter to perceptions regarding the role mobility might play in escaping the pocket. Sounds like something to investigate this season.