This isn’t too surprising given all of the takes we’ve seen from around NFL media this offseason, with Derek Carr regularly ranked in the middle of the pack — including here at Saints Wire, where the New Orleans Saints quarterback slotted in at No. 16. He’s coming off a down year with the Las Vegas Raiders that led to his unceremonious split with the only team he’s ever played for, so it makes sense that Carr’s stock is down around the league.
That’s the case in ESPN’s positional rankings, where they polled NFL executives, coaches, and scouts to put together a list of the game’s best active quarterbacks going into the 2023 season. Carr was ranked outside the top-10 again after making the top-12 a year ago, this time receiving an honorable mention. But he still has fans in the league.
“Quick processor and highly accurate,” one anonymous NFC team official told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, adding, “He can also handle heavily game-plan installs. Very smart.”
The Saints are hopeful that Carr can return to his pre-2022 form in a friendlier offense that plays to his strengths, giving him a number of run-after-catch weapons who can make the most of his accurate passes underneath the defense; guys like running back Alvin Kamara and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, but also tight ends Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau. If things go as planned, that’s going to open up opportunities for Shaheed and wideout Chris Olave to make plays deeper downfield. And the biggest X-factor in the group is Michael Thomas, whose return to dominance would change everything for everyone in the group.
But that’s the plan as it’s been drawn up. Now it’s time to execute it, put points on the board, and win a lot of games — proving Carr deserves a spot among the NFL’s best passers, too. Let’s see if they can pull it off.
