Over the last year, the public perception about Derek Carr has changed. He was once thought of as a middling, replaceable quarterback who doesn’t add much value to an offense. But after a strong 2020 season, Carr has risen up many quarterback ranks.
In a recent article by Mike Sando of The Athletic, he polled 50 NFL coaches, decision-makers and general managers as to who are the best quarterbacks in the league. He had them rank the quarterbacks by tiers and then ranked them from 1-34.
Carr came in at No. 15, which is up five spots from where he finished last year. He finished atop of the Tier 3 list, ahead of quarterbacks like Ben Roethlisberger, Baker Mayfield and Carson Wentz. Here is what one personnel director had to say about Carr:
“I think what you saw last year will be the absolute best you see Derek Carr play. I don’t know if he has any more room to grow. They have had a strong run game, they had some weapons on the outside. He played with the most confidence I’ve seen him play in his entire career. Is that sustainable?”
The Raiders finished inside the top-10 in most offensive categories last year and that was due to Carr’s strong play. If he can replicate that type of play again in 2021, the Raiders will be in playoff contention. If not, this team could easily finish at the bottom of the AFC West.
Carr isn’t quite viewed as an elite quarterback in the NFL, but he is just a notch below. We’ve seen him play extremely well in big games and the Raiders are hoping that a new-look offensive line will help protect him this season. Look for Carr to have another strong season in 2021 under Jon Gruden.
