Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr needs some help.
Despite a rookie season that saw him start every game and display a number of promising, franchise quarterback-potential characteristics, the Raiders offense finished 31st in the NFL in points per game and dead last in yards per game.
The run game, led by the altogether disappointing Darren McFadden but buoyed by the promise of Latavius Murray, still finished in the NFL's basement. The passing game, despite Carr's resiliency, didn't fare much better.
So, it's not surprising that Carr could use some assistance.
Hopefully, new head coach Jack Del Rio and Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie are planning on giving it to him and, while free agency may provide some answers, building through the draft tends to be the preferred method of adding talent to an NFL roster.
NFL analyst Mike Mayock held a conference call with a plethora of media members ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine this week and revealed that when it comes to the Raiders first-round pick, he believes a wide receiver is the way to go.
"And as far as the wide receiver position is concerned, I would expect that at No. 4 that's where they ought to be targeting," said Mayock. "I think they've got to grind the heck out of Kevin White, Amari Cooper and DeVante Parker."
Cooper, out of Alabama, is widely viewed as the safest receiver prospect in the draft, while White and Parker provide much greater potential for either booming or busting.
"I think Cooper from Alabama has got the highest score. In other words, I think he's the safest pick of that group. Really good route runner, had over 100 catches last year, reminds me of some of those wide outs that played on the Greatest Show on Turf with Dick Vermeil in St. Louis, Tory Holt, for example, that type of wide receiver, whereas the other two, Kevin White and DeVante Parker, are bigger bodied guys where you can throw it up and they can win jump balls," said Mayock.
White - 6-foot-3, 210 pounds - finished this season with 109 catches, 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns for West Virginia. He, like Parker, is a big senior with little polish to his route-running and questionable speed. Parker - 6-foot-3, 208 pounds - finished this year with only 43 receptions for 855 yards and five touchdowns. His lesser production will be a concern for teams.
At this point in the process, though, with the combine still to come and free agency yet to hit, Mayock feels fairly certain that one of these explosive wideouts will end up on the receiving end of Carr's passes next season.
"I would imagine that one of those three guys are going to be their pick, and I think any one of the three could be highly productive."
