Three quarterbacks were taken in the first round of the NFL Draft this year: Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater.
You’ve probably heard a thing or two about Manziel, who received so much attention this summer that he could’ve had his own TV show, if not his own network. You’ve also probably heard a thing or two about Bortles and Bridgewater, both of whom looked wise beyond their years in the preseason. Bortles made just about every throw, and Bridgewater finished with five touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 111.2 passer rating.
Not too shabby.
So, when we wake up on New Year’s Day, 2015, which rookie quarterback will have had the best season?
Answer: None of them.
None of the ones you just read about, anyway.
No, top rookie honors might just go to Derek Carr. Why? Well, for one, the Oakland Raiders have named the second-round pick out of Fresno State their Week 1 starter. So yeah, playing time certainly helps.
“I was not expecting the Raiders to actually start Derek Carr,” NFL Network analyst Ian Rapoport said on The Damon Amendolara Show, “so my answer (would) probably (be) him (as far as the best rookie quarterback). I mean, he looked the best in preseason, it seemed.”
Carr was ho-hum through his first two games. He went 10-of-16 for 74 yards and an interception against Minnesota in his first game, and he went 9-of-16 for 109 yards and a touchdown against Detroit in his second. He didn’t play against Green Bay but was stellar against Seattle. He finished 11-of-13 for 143 yards and three touchdowns on passes of 36, 20 and 11 yards.
“I mean, the way he played in the fourth preseason game gave the Raiders confidence to do anything they want with him,” Rapoport said. “All of a sudden, a franchise that looked a little bit lost has a lot of hope and a lot of good reason for it.”
The Raiders have not made the playoffs since losing the Super Bowl after the 2002 season. While no one expects that drought to end this year, Carr, who threw for more than 12,000 yards and 100 touchdowns in college, gives Oakland fans a reason to watch – and, as Rapoport said, hope.
Bortles, Manziel and Bridgewater, on the other hand, will begin the season backing up Chad Henne, Brian Hoyer and Matt Cassel, respectively. Many NFL analysts are convinced Manziel will start after Cleveland’s Week 4 bye, but that’s certainly far from a sure thing. Even Bortles, the third overall pick, might not play much this year.
“I’m not convinced that we’re going to see Blake Bortles here,” Rapoport said. “I know he played great in preseason, but Henne played really well, too. I’ll probably take Derek Carr (as the best rookie quarterback) because we’re going to see the most of him. Do we see Bortles at some point? Potentially. But I really think it’s going to be Derek Carr.”
