NFL GM says he doesn’t think Derek Carr is a first round quarterback
By Josh Hill
With the NFL Draft now the main thing a majority of NFL teams are looking forward to as we approach the new year, college quarterbacks are starting to become more and more talked about as teams identify their needs. It’s been established that you need a franchise quarterback to win in the NFL these days and that’s a notion that has a lot of teams looking for the quarterback in this year’s draft.
One of the hotter names in terms of finding that franchise quarterback is Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr. Many have Carr high on their board but not everyone does, as NFL Network’s Albert Breer quoted an NFC GM as saying while he likes Carr as a quarterback, he doesn’t so much like him as a first round pick.
“I like him, but he’s not a first-round talent. His athletic ability and arm strength,” the GM said, via NFL.com, “he’s just not dynamic.”
Those quotes were sort of countered by those of an AFC GM who said that while Carr isn’t a pro quarterback yet and hardly plays in a pro system at Fresno State, there’s potential in the young kid and the Senior Bowl can really help him.
"“Good arm, accurate, quick release, but he’s not in a pro offense,” one AFC general manager said. “He’s at a lower level of competition, and he needs to develop better awareness, anticipation and pocket presence. He can help himself in the bowl game and Senior Bowl.”"
It seems that the growing consensus at the moment on Carr is that he’s a little overvalued by Draft wonks grading him in the first round. That of course can all change as no one had E.J. Manuel as the first quarterback off the board last year, let alone a first rounder. The Senior Bowl and this weekends Las Vegas Bowl should help Carr’s status for April though and those GM’s might be singing a different tune then.