Fresno State’s Derek Carr Has ‘Franchise’ QB Potential?

Oct.13, 2012; Boise,ID, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback Derek Carr (4) during first half action at Bronco Stadium verses the Boise State Broncos. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

Nothing quite like the weeks leading up to the start of college football season, when every prospect is getting over-hyped and vastly over-analyzed.

Such is the case with Fresno State star quarterback Derek Carr–the younger brother of former Bulldog and Texans top pick David Carr–whom Bucky Brooks believe is a “legitimate franchise quarterback candidate”.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with Brooks’ thoughts on Carr. In fact, I really liked what I saw from Carr when evaluating him as well. Here is Brooks’ evaluation of Carr:

"Derek Carr has developed into one of the top playmakers at the position. He displays A-plus arm talent, while also showing impressive accuracy, ball placement and touch on passes of all ranges. When given sufficient time in the pocket, Carr has routinely shown the ability to pick apart defenses with pinpoint throws to every section of the field. However, scouts have concerns about his ability to make sound decisions under pressure based on the number of forced throws and dropped interceptions that show up on tape. If Carr can make significant strides as a decision maker and avoid the hurried throws that lead to turnovers, he could surpass several bigger names as a legitimate franchise quarterback candidate."

When I evaluated Carr, I saw a lot of Jay Cutler in his game. This is certainly a player with a strong arm capable of making every throw you’d ask of him, but he has a tendency to throw off his back foot, and doesn’t have the greatest pocket presence.

We’re hoping to see some improvement in that area this year from Carr, who made a lot of risky throws that you can see in his game footage, as Brooks notes.

While there are certainly questions about Carr’s ability to make good decisions on the field under pressure, there is no question he is one of the most talented QB prospects we’ve evaluated this year. He should put up huge numbers again for the Bulldogs in 2013, and is a name to look out for as a potential ‘franchise’ quarterback.