Derek Carr is entering his sixth season as the starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders, but continues to get little respect from the media.
Derek Carr is the Oakland Raiders quarterback for 2019, and there is no real competition behind him. We know what he brings to the Raiders franchise, as he was an MVP candidate in 2016, and can command an offense.
However, according to Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus in his recent article, PFF Rankings: NFL starting quarterback rankings for 2019, Derek Carr is the 19th best quarterback in the NFL.
In Palazzolo’s article, he ranks 12 quarterbacks as what he refers to as ‘Tier 3’, this category starts with the 11th best quarterback, and ends with the 22nd. Carr the ninth best quarterback in this tier alone:
"19. DEREK CARR, OAKLAND RAIDERSThings were trending up for Carr in 2015 and 2016, but he’s ranked just 21st and 19th in PFF grades over the last two seasons. Carr generally does a good job of taking care of the ball, but 2016 saw him rank 10th in big-time throw percentage, a ranking that has dropped to 29th and 18th over the last two years. Like the other quarterbacks in this tier, Carr must be aggressive enough to take advantage of an arm that can zip it down the field and drop it in with touch while keeping his ability to keep turnover-worthy plays on the low side. Carr’s first season on new head coach Jon Gruden saw him tie for 37th with an average depth of target of only 7.5, a number that likely needs to increase if he’s going to live up to his potential."
I can’t say I 100% agree or disagree with Palazzolo, but he definitely had Carr below some quarterback I feel he is better than. Palazzolo ranked Kirk Cousins, Cam Newton, and Jimmy Garroppolo in front of Carr, and I just don’t see it. Those three quarterbacks are not better than Carr.
Carr has what it takes to get it done, and his average depth of target of 7.5 yards per throw speaks volumes of the kind of talent he had around him last season. When your best two receivers are a tight end and a running back, you will not be able to throw it deep too often.
Carr can be a top-10 quarterback in the NFL. But a lot of that will depend on his teammates and the time he will have to throw the ball. With the best weapons he has ever had in his career, Carr could be in for his best season yet, but he must get better protection, after being sacked 51 times in 2018.
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