Carr played in 44 games in his four years at Fresno State. Carr passed for 12,843 yards, 113 TDs, 24 INTs and completed 66.7% of his passes. In his final season as a Bulldog, Carr passed for 5,083 yards, 50 TDs, 8 INTs and completed 68.9% of his passes. During his senior season, Carr ranked third in completion percentage and last in yards per completion among my top 10 quarterbacks. Fresno State's offense substituted run plays with screens. So naturally Carr's completion percentage was boosted while his yards per completion average was pulled down. Despite the fact that the vast majority of Carr's passes were short, he definitely has the ability to push the ball down the field. In fact, that might be Carr's greatest strength.
Strengths:
Deep Ball Accuracy- Like I said before, Derek Carr can push the ball down the field. He has the arm strength to drive the ball deep and he's accurate when he does. Watch the video below and keep an eye on how far the ball travels in the air. Derek Carr is going to give secondaries fits.
Touch- In addition to having the best arm in this years draft class, Carr might also have the best touch. His ability to float the ball in on corner routes and fades is really impressive. It makes him deadly in the redzone. His ability to fit the ball in between the defender and the sideline is second to none. He just picks out the single coverage and lets the ball go. Watch the video below to see examples of Carr's touch.
Arm Strength- Carr has the velocity to make all of the deep out, comeback and dig throws that most NFL teams need their quarterbacks to make.
Mobility- Carr has above average athletic ability for a quarterback. He's no RGIII but he can move when you give him an opportunity.
Leadership- Derek Carr is a competitor. He's a vocal leader and he commands the attention of his teammates when he speaks. Carr's charisma and fire will help him win over the veterans on whatever team he goes to. He'll be the guy firing his teammates up before a game and he'll let them know if he thinks they aren't giving their best effort. His personality reminds me of a combination of Drew Brees and Jay Cutler. Not bad guys to be compared to.
Weaknesses:
Footwork- I watched 479 of the throws that Carr made this past season. Of those 479 snaps, Carr took one snap from under center. Carr will have to learn to play the position from under center which isn't that uncommon these days for college QBs transitioning to the pros. The bigger concern for me is the inconstancy in Carr's footwork. He has a tendency to let his feet get too close together. Once his feet are close together he uses a crow-hop to get his weight going forward. Other times he never shifts his weight forward and gets away with it because his arm is so strong. This inconstancy leads to inaccuracy. For Carr to reach his full potential he'll need to work on having consistent footwork.
Pocket Presence- Carr has a tendency to sit at the top of the pocket. It's a common problem and can be easily remedied. But it's something that could get him in trouble if he doesn't address it. Quarterbacks who sit at the top of the pocket open themselves up for to more sacks and fumbles.
Overview:
Derek Carr is the most exciting quarterback in this draft class. His arm strength and touch allow him to attack every part of the field and that's valuable. When you pair that ability with his leadership and competitive fire, you get an elite talent with a ceiling as high as you can imagine. If Carr goes to a team where he isn't thrown into the fire immediately, I think he'll be very successful and we'll see him competing for rings for years to come.
Draft Projection- Pick 15-20- Carr has work to do with his mechanics but his ability is impossible to ignore. I think a team will fall in love with him and either trade up or trade back to take him here.
Thanks again to everyone at draftbreakdown.com for all of the work that you do putting together prospect video.
I'll be back soon with QB# 1, Teddy Bridgewater.
