Draft results prove Derek Carr is still the Las Vegas Raiders franchise QB

The Las Vegas Raiders were rumored to be in the market for a QB in the 2020 NFL Draft but they have stood pat with franchise QB Derek Carr.

Coming in to the 2020 NFL Draft rumors were swirling that the Las Vegas Raiders were in the market for a new quarterback. Depending on the day of the week, the Raiders were linked to a number of moves for each one of the top quarterback prospects in the draft.

Some reports suggested that they would package their two first round picks for the chance to select Tua Tagovailoa out of Alabama or Justin Herbert from Oregon, the two top prospects in this year’s class not named Joe Burrow. The other scenarios involved the Raiders using their 19th pick to select Jordan Love from Utah State who ended up going 26th to the Green Bay Packers.

Lastly, and perhaps the rumor with real merit considering the source was The Athletic’s Raiders beat writer Vic Tafur, was the Raiders hoping to select Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts in the third round. According to Tafur, the Raiders were hoping to snatch Hurts up in the third but he tested so well at the combine that he would likely be picked well before that.

Tafur’s statement turned out to be prophetic and Hurts was selected in the second round, 53rd overall, by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Regardless of whether the Raiders truly had their eyes on selecting Jalen Hurts, the other three scenarios involving Tagovailoa, Herbert, or Love were quickly proven wrong as the Raiders stood pat in the first and did not select a QB.

Barring anything drastic happening between now and September, Derek Carr will be the Raiders starting quarterback for the seventh straight season and will continue to be the franchise QB.

Much has been made about the Raiders bringing Marcus Mariota and the fact that he is the highest paid backup in the NFL at $7.5 million in 2020. Mariota’s two-year deal is essentially a one-year deal with some very high incentives if he can become the starter but that is not out of the ordinary for veteran QBs, especially high draft picks.

He was brought in to push Carr and provide Gruden with a fail-safe in case of injury to his number one QB. Gruden has not shied away from paying big money to a backup QB he feels is capable of filling in and even paid AJ McCarron $5 million for his services in 2018.

Mariota also gives Gruden some options for running gadget plays the way New Orleans has used Taysom Hill and even how Tennessee used Mariota last season. The Raiders struggled at times in the red zone so having an extra wrinkle, even in the form of a mobile backup QB, could help them improve in that area.

We have written at length about the pros and cons of bringing Mariota to Las Vegas but one thing is clear, by no statistical measure is he a better QB than Derek Carr. He may bring a different element to the game with this running ability but as a pure QB, he does not measure up to the incumbent who even with a weak cast in recent years has excelled.

That brings us to the Raiders selections in the 2020 NFL Draft and their decision to prioritize the offense after spending big on the defense in free agency. Of their seven selections, five were players that they hope will make life easier for Carr. The Raiders used three of their first four selections on two wide receivers and a RB/WR hybrid that can be plugged in all over the field.

This level of commitment to rebuilding the offensive weaponry that once surrounded Derek Carr in his best seasons as a Raider proves that they know he can deliver the goods but needs some help to do it. With the help of these new weapons and the development of his weapons from 2019, Derek Carr will soon be able to regain his Pro Bowl form and stake his claim once and for all as the Las Vegas Raiders franchise quarterback.