Former NFL Head Coach Hue Jackson Wanted to Draft Colin Kaepernick

According to The MMQB's Albert Breer, Hue Jackson wanted to draft Colin Kaepernick when he was still coaching the Oakland Raiders.

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Former NFL head coach Hue Jackson will lead the drills during quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s workout in Atlanta on Saturday, the league announced Thursday. And while Jackson hasn't seen or talked to Kaepernick in years, the quarterback made a strong impression on Jackson during the 2011 NFL draft process.

According the MMQB's Albert Breer, Jackson evaluated Kaepernick while he was still coaching the Oakland Raiders and Kaepernick was a prospect coming out of the University of Nevada. Jackson said that before the 2011 draft, he and late Oakland owner Al Davis "fell in love with the player and person."

"I wanted to draft him—he was the guy I wanted," Jackson told Breer. "Me and Al were plotting a way to get him, and we just couldn't quite figure a way to pull it of."

The Raiders didn't have a first-round pick in 2011, but Jackson said that Kaepernick would've been a "slam dunk pick" for the team if he had dropped to No. 48, the team's first selection. 

“Tremendous person, and a great player,” Jackson said. “He had the skills to throw it, to run it, there was nothing he couldn’t do on the football field. And the guy played in a Super Bowl. Hopefully, we can showcase that talent out there on Saturday.”

As of Thursday evening, 11 teams have committed to attend the workout that Jackson is leading. The NFL said in a statement that it expects more teams to commit in the coming days.

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin will be in attendance as well assisting the workout.

Kaepernick's team initially pushed to try and schedule the workout on a Tuesday or next Saturday, but the league refused without a reason.

The league informed teams of Kaepernick's workout on Tuesday just hours after Kaepernick's representatives were notified and given two hours to respond.

Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid criticized the league for scheduling the workout on a Saturday, when travel or game planning commitments may be prioritized by teams. 

Kaepernick has not played in the league since Jan. 1, 2017, and opted out of his contract with the 49ers in March 2017. He has not tried out for an NFL team since becoming a free agent. Kaepernick famously kneeled during the national anthem before games to protest racial injustice and police violence against African-Americans. He later filed a grievance against the league in Oct. 2017 and accused owners of blackballing him but reached a settlement in Feb. 2019.

"I've been in shape and ready for this for 3 years, can't wait to see the head coaches and GMs on Saturday," Kaepernick tweeted on Tuesday.

In his six years with San Francisco, Kaepernick racked up 12,271 passing yards and 72 touchdowns in 69 career games.