Oakland Raiders: Is Derek Carr the Next Elite Quarterback?

Derek Carr had a good sophomore season for the Oakland Raiders, but is he ready to step into the ‘elite quarterback’ category?

We may have seen the last of Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady won’t actually be able to play forever. Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, Eli Manning, Carson Palmer.. all around the league we’ve got top quarterbacks nearing their final few seasons. The NFL needs new young faces to take the reins, and Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr may fit the bill perfectly.

Related Story: 30 Greatest QBs of All Time

Carr made it to his first career Pro Bowl after only his second season in the league, becoming the fist Raiders quarterback to go to the Pro Bowl since Rich Gannon did it in 2002. After a promising rookie season, Carr took a huge leap his second year in the league.

Sure he had a few shiny new weapons in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, but anyone who watched Raiders games last season and this season can tell you that Carr was more poised and prepared in 2015, and looked like a veteran quarterback leading his team. He fell just shy of 4,000 passing yards but had 32 passing touchdowns compared to 13 interceptions. Carr’s 53 passing touchdowns through his first two NFL seasons are second only to Dan Marino in league history (Peyton Manning & Russell Wilson each had 52).

Clearly, this guy is a pretty dang good quarterback. The question still remains though, is he going to step up towards the elite level? He was thrown into the fire as a rookie; asked to start from Week 1 for a struggling team, but he didn’t burn to ash. Instead, he withstood the flame and actually made his team better.

In Carr’s rookie year, five of the team’s 13 losses were by one score or less. No, a 3-13 record isn’t great, but Carr helped keep the game close. In 2015 though, Carr was able to turn those close losses into wins. He lead four game-winning drives last year against San Diego, Baltimore, Tennessee, and even the eventual Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos. This win against Denver was a signature one for the young quarterback:

Maybe reminding people about his 0-point first half performance isn’t the best move, but that doesn’t change the fact that Carr lead the defeat of the NFL’s best team, something that Cam Newton wasn’t able to do.

Statistically, Carr still has some work to do. He completed just 61% of his passes in 2015 which was good for 23rd in the league, putting him behind the likes of Josh McCown and Blaine Gabbert. He through 13 interceptions, which was the 10th fewest in the league among 16 quarterbacks who started the full season.

He finished the season 13th in yardage and 9th in touchdowns, but 25th in QBR. His completion percentage and QBR show us that some of his statistical excellence is due just to volume, but his his league-leading four 4th-Quarter-Comebacks points to a player who can turn it on when he needs to. This is a symptom of greatness.

Former Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner sees the potential for a lot of development in Carr, but is wary of placing him in the ‘elite’ category:

"“You’re excited about what the future can be, but again, I don’t need to throw him in any category,” Warner said (via Raiders.com’s Eddie Paskal). “I hope he continues to grow year in and year out and gets better every year, because with the track that he’s on now, that bodes well for a really, really good NFL career if he can continue to grow.”"

I align fairly well with Warner’s statements, because I don’t think that Carr is at an elite level quite yet. He needs to become more efficient with the football, and make the most out of every time he drops back to pass. He has that killer instinct though, and is already one of the game’s better closers.

There isn’t a quarterback in the league I would rather have than Derek Carr if I’m trying to build a young team into a contender, and that is exactly what Oakland is doing. Last season they gave him the passing game, and if they can just give a him a more solid rushing attack and a better defense, this will be a tough team to beat every week.

More nfl spin zone: Raiders: 5 Priority Pre-Draft Decisions

Derek Carr is good. He’s not quite elite yet, but if I had to choose a player most likely to step into that spotlight once the current occupants step down, it would be him. I’m excited to see what this young man is going to do, and I hope the team continues to give him everything they’ve got so he can realize his full potential.