Derek Carr still impressing Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders rookie quarterback Derek Carr was an absolute steal in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and I hope the Houston Texans never forgive themselves for passing on Carr and taking Tom Savage a few rounds later instead. I’m sure the Raiders are elated that the Texans and other teams passed up on Carr, even if the statistics haven’t been there for the former Fresno State star in his first two NFL games.

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Carr has averaged just 5.6 yards per attempt so far this season, but he has a solid completion percentage and somehow has more touchdowns than interceptions despite a lack of a running game and some disappointing play around him in the passing game.He’s trying to make do without a sufficient amount of playmakers, and the leadership and knowledge of the offense he shows as a Week 1 rookie starter is pretty darn impressive.

That’s why it isn’t a surprise to hear a “Raiders source” tell ESPN’s Adam Caplan that the organization is impressed by what Carr has done so far. The Raiders are, per Caplan, a fan of Carr’s ability to soak up the offense mentally, as well as his ability to anticipate throws. He was excellent at the latter while in a spread offense at Fresno State, which is largely based on timing. Carr has elite physical tools with a howitzer of an arm to go with extremely underrated athleticism, and his football IQ might be even better than Teddy Bridgewater’s.