Last night I had the pleasure of watching my Detroit Lions take on the Oakland Raiders in their week two pre-season matchup. It is not very often I get to watch a football game in it’s entirety without any distractions, so I relished the opportunity. There were plenty of players I was excited to watch/scout last night, but the one I was looking forward to watching the most was Derek Carr and he did not disappoint.
Even in 2QB/Superflex leagues I have been seeing Derek Carr going in the late second or early third round of rookie drafts making him a potential Superflex diamond in the rough. However, if he keeps performing like he did last night in the pre-season, he will surpass Matt Schaub and I don’t think he will ever look back.
I am going to break down what I thought of Derek Carr’s performance last night against Detroit and explain why I think he could end up being the best quarterback of the 2014 class.
1. Arm Strength
From what I have been hearing lately, Oakland had Derek Carr as their number one overall quarterback in this class. I know some questioned his arm strength and also wondered whether his success at Fresno State was due to having an uber-talented wide receiver like Davante Adams to throw the ball to. Well let me tell you, as far as arm strength goes, I have no doubt Carr can make every NFL throw.
Last night against the Lions, I was thoroughly impressed on a play-action call where Carr rolled to his right and threw a ball on a rope on a comeback route 20 yards downfield for a first down. After that he effortlessly launched a 38 yard completion to Greg Little down the right sideline (which should have gone for a touchdown by the way) which setup a touchdown pass from three yards out to Jake Murphy.
Long story short, arm strength is not a concern for this young man.
2. Pocket Presence
Carr looked wise beyond his years last night as far as pocket presence goes. He does not hesitate to step up into the pocket to avoid pressure, which is a rare quality for a rookie quarterback. I saw him step up numerous times against a talented Lions defensive front who was throwing all kinds of different blitzes at him last night. What I did notice is that he tends to get happy feet when going through his progressions and also has a tendency to pat the ball against his hands while anticipating a throw. Overall, I think those are two things that can definitely be coached out of him. He is a rookie after all.
3. NFL Comparison
If I had to compare Derek Carr to anyone currently playing in the NFL now, it would be Jay Cutler. It is almost uncanny really. Their delivery, arm slot, body language, football mannerisms, everything is almost identical. It is something you almost have to see to believe. Cutler has had great QB1 seasons in the past (and probably will again this year) but is not the glamorous name like a Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers. That is fine. But he produces. I realize there are no big name receivers in Oakland, but when you have a young, talented, strong armed quarterback like Derek Carr, you build around him. I believe Oakland has every intention of doing so and that Derek Carr should be a must draft player in the mid second round of your 2QB/Superflex rookie drafts.
If you let someone snatch this kid up, I have a feeling you will be sorry.
