Derek Carr may have dropped into the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft and experienced growing pains in a rookie season where he has just a single win through 12 games, but according to some scouts the Oakland Raiders quarterback is preferred over the other passer from across the bay in Colin Kaepernick despite a lack of playoff success or a Super Bowl appearance and not having completed a full season yet.
95.7 The Game host John Middlekauff polled various NFL scouts who voted 5-0 in favor of Carr as the quarterback they would want to lead their franchise. Surprising considering that Kaepernick has played in two straight NFC Championships and nearly won a Super Bowl with the Niners in the past two seasons as a starting quarterback.
From Middlekauff:
"I reached out to several NFL execs and multiple QB coaches asking them what Bay Area QB they would rather have moving forward. The answers were a unanimous (5-0) for Carr. It seems crazy because Kaepernick has won big games (4-2 in the playoffs) and has all the physical attributes you could want. But the consistent sentiment was he may just be what he is and some of his fundamental flaws will not change (accuracy/touch) over time. Kaps frenetic play is just something his coach and skill guys will have to learn to live with, it may not be something that changed. He will always be a guy that forces you to live with the bad because the good is so special. Carrs pocket presence and natural development over the ‘14 season has caught the eye of many around the NFL. His arm strength was never the question and he has quieted the “he may not be tough enough” crowd quickly. Everyone I spoke with was very bullish on his potential and what he will become once Oakland surrounds him with talent. Carr has definitely made the scouting/coaching community take notice early in his career."
Carr has tons of upside, but until he has talent around him to win games it is hard to place him above Kaepernick. That hasn’t stopped scouts from piling on praise on the rookie who has shown promise and poise at times despite having few reliable teammates with him as a offensive unit. In 2015 we will get a better gauge on Carr’s longterm talent after a year of starts under his belt, but if Carr wants to become the king of the Bay Area at quarterback he will have to guide the Raiders to success in the standings eventually. For now his upside is exciting enough to have scouts fawning over him, but unless he can find away to outgun Kaepernick on Sunday it is hard to vault him over a young quarterback that has had far more early success even if Kaepernick is on a much better team.