Of the big four second-year quarterbacks, none have been more impressive this season than the guy who was drafted the lowest out of all of them. Derek Carr, the Oakland Raiders' second-round pick last year, has outshined fellow sophomore passers Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater. That's an impressive feat considering that Bridgewater is a division champ and Bortles just passed for more than 4,400 yards and 35 touchdowns. So how did Carr do it?
We knew coming into the 2014 draft that Carr could put some mustard on the ball. He zips it around with rare velocity and force, but he improved this year on his touch passes. Like a young NBA player mastering a floater in the lane or a corner three, Carr has learned when to take something off the ball and how to adjust his throws for different situations. That has led to some impressive numbers.
Overall, Carr threw for 3,987 yards with 32 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing 61.1 percent of his passes. Though his play dipped over the second half of the season (72.4 passer rating throughout the final eight games), Carr showed enough to convince Raiders brass that he can develop into a true blue franchise QB one day. Helping him on that journey will be star wide receiver Amari Cooper and capable tight end Clive Walford, both of whom impressed during their rookie years. Improving the talent around a young QB is one sure fire way to aid his development.
Carr still has a bit of a gunslinger feel to him. His aggressiveness can sometimes lead to turnovers and an inefficient red zone offense. Oakland blew a 20-14 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13 following three Carr picks and the Raiders fell out of playoff contention down the stretch. He'll have to improve his decision making in Year 3 to take that next step.
But overall, Carr made major strides in 2015. He handled the blitz significantly better than his rookie year and held up well against pressure. His big arm led to 10 touchdown passes of at least 20 yards downfield, a homerun element that Bridgewater is certainly missing from his game. Raiders fans should be excited for 2016.
