Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr threw for 3,987 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2015. The tape is nice, too. And at only 25 years old, Carr's upside is off the charts. The arm strength that resembles a howitzer, the touch throws, the movement skills: Carr is rapidly developing a deep toolbox at the position with only two years of experience on his pro resume.
So, where does Carr stand among the young quarterbacks in the NFL? While we wait to get a look at rookies Jared Goff and Carson Wentz against pro competition, let's rank the 25-and-under signal-callers in the NFL -- Jacksonville's Blake Bortles, Minnesota's Teddy Bridgewater, Oakland's Carr, Tennessee's Marcus Mariota, Houston's Brock Osweiler and Tampa Bay's Jameis Winston -- based on their upside.
1. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders
The upside: From the velocity on his throws, to the touch he has developed to target the seam or fade, Carr has the makings of a star player in this league. In only two seasons, Carr has tossed 53 touchdowns and his Total QBR climbed from 38.2 as a rookie to 49.2 in his second season. The developmental signs are there and the upside should have Raiders fans thinking big.
You want to see Carr sling it? Go check out some of the throws he made against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The skinny post, the seam to split the safeties. Big time. Or turn on the tape against the Green Bay Packers and watch Carr drop an absolute dime on the deep corner route to Amari Cooper. Wow. That's legit stuff.
On deep-ball throws (20 or more yards), Carr's numbers are excellent: 93.9 Total QBR (10th in the NFL), along with 10 touchdowns (tied for third). He can get it out there. And he's not afraid to challenge the opposing secondary. That means finding tight windows, seeing the safety and fitting the ball in for another explosive gain.