Derek Carr will not throw at Combine
Derek Carr of Fresno State (4) walks off the field against the North squad during the first quarter at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback Derek Carr is one of the “big four” QB prospects in the 2014 NFL Draft, so it’s surprising to hear that he also won’t be throwing at the Combine this year. Per a source close to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Carr will not throw at the Combine, but he will compete in other drills and throw at Fresno State’s pro day. Another top prospect in Johnny Manziel will also forego throwing at the Combine this year, but Manziel will wait even longer to throw and will only throw at a personal pro day that will come several weeks after Texas A&M’s pro day.
Carr is tentatively ranked as my No.2 QB in the draft class, but I’m not sure about where the QBs behind Teddy Bridgewater, who is easily at the top of my list, stand just yet. He has a howitzer of an arm (best arm talent in the class) and is more scheme-versatile than detractors say, but his deep ball placement is inconsistent. Carr could also stand to improve when facing pressure, and the level of competition he faced last season wasn’t top notch. He’s more polished than Blake Bortles and Manziel, but he also has holes in his game and isn’t close to being the finished product either.
Since Carr is so talented, it’s surprising that a player with Jay Cutler-like arm talent won’t throw at the biggest showcase event for draft prospects, and there doesn’t seem to be much logic behind the decision. His older brother David did not throw at the Combine back when he was a draft prospect, so maybe the elder Carr gave this year’s draft-eligible QB some persuasive advice.