Is Derek Carr a Top Five Quarterback?
Derek Carr was the fourth quarterback taken in the 2014 NFL draft, behind Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel, and Teddy Bridgewater. Without a doubt, if teams knew then what they know now, Carr would have been the first quarterback taken. Bortles has posted some impressive fantasy numbers, but it hasn't translated to any team success. Johnny Manziel is out of the league. Teddy Bridgewater has had the most team success as the only quarterback from the group to lead his team to the postseason, but his career may be in question now after a devastating knee injury. Other quarterbacks taken later have shown some promise in limited time, such as Jimmy Garoppolo and AJ McCarron, but neither have had any consistent playing time. As things currently stand, Carr very well may be the only true franchise quarterback from the draft class. That being said, just how good is Derek Carr?
As a rookie, Carr exceeded expectations. He posted over 3,200 passing yards with 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. There's no denying he had a total lack of a supporting cast. The defense was ranked dead last in points against, his leading rusher was Darren McFadden with 534 yards, and his top targets at wide receiver were James Jones and Andre Holmes. There was no surprise when the team struggled to a 3-13 record, despite their young quarterback showing some promise.
In Carr’s second season, he was handed some weapons and he showed what he was capable of doing. He posted a very impressive stat line of nearly 4,000 yards, 32 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The defense moved up from dead last the 22nd in point against per game. The team spent their fourth overall pick in the first round on wide receiver Amari Cooper, and also signed free agent Michael Crabtree. Latavious Murray was handed the lead back role with McFadden out of the picture. Murray topped 1,000 yards rushing, and Cooper and Crabtree combined for nearly 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns. The team posted a 7-9 record, and had a lot to look forward to coming into the 2016 season. With a promising young core and a ton of salary cap space, the Raiders had their sights set on the playoffs in 2016.
Nine games into the 2016 season, Carr has been nothing short of an MVP candidate. He has already posted 2,500 yards and 17 touchdowns against just 3 interceptions. Amari Cooper has been spectacular, on pace for nearly 1,500 yards receiving. Michael Crabtree is on pace for over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns. The defense started off slowly but has been coming on strong the last few weeks. The team is off to a fast 7-2 start, and is looking like one of the best teams in the AFC. Most impressively, he has been at his best when it matters the most. When his team is trailing, he has a 110.2 qb rating with 9 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. His rating increases each quarter, leading to a 4th quarter rating of 106.0 and an overtime rating of 130.7. In the final 2 minutes of a half his rating is also 130.7. He has led 3 fourth quarter comebacks this season in 7 wins. At this point the only question about Carr is, now that personal success has led to team success, just how high does he rank in the quarterback conversation?
The discussion of who the best quarterbacks are right now always starts with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Brady has been nothing short of spectacular this season, and while much has been made of his struggles as well as the Packers struggles this season, Rodgers still has over 2,000 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just 5 interceptions through 8 games this season. He’s still one of the very best. Matt Ryan is having a season for the ages for a 6-3 Falcons team. Drew Brees is having another Drew Brees season. Matthew Stafford may be forcing his way into the top 5 conversation himself, coming from behind in all 5 wins this season and posting very impressive numbers. Big Ben, Phillip Rivers, and Andrew Luck always have to be in the conversation. But can you definitively say there are 5 quarterbacks you would rather right now than Derek Carr? At just 25 years old, fans should be prepared to hear Derek Carr’s name mentioned among the very best in the league for the foreseeable future.
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