College: Fresno State

Ht: 6'2"

Wt: 214

Strengths

Can Make Every Throw on the Field: This is not to be confused with arm strength. Carr has the ability to make every single throw any NFL offense might ask of him. From the right hash to the left sideline on a 20-yard out, no problem. From the left hash to the right sideline on a 30-yard out, no problem. Rolling left and throwing left 60 yards, not an issue. Carr has one of the strongest arms as it relates to these types of throws that I have seen in my years of armchair scouting. 

Arm Strength: Carr can heave the ball down the field on a dime better than any quarterback in each of the last two draft classes. He boasts a stronger arm than Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson, the three-best quarterbacks from one of the most storied draft classes in league history. When I indicate that he can throw the ball down the field on a dime, I am not saying that he only lays it in there for it to drop into the receivers hands. In game, the longest ball of this kind we have seen from Carr is 61 yards. 

Fits It Into Tight Windows: Davante Adams was the only real playmaker that Carr had in his time at Fresno State. This means that when the quarterback had to look his way, it was normally into a tight window. In this, Carr showed precision accuracy. A lot of this has to do timing. Carr displays solid pre-snap connection with his receivers and knows exactly where to find them on crossing routes between the middle. 

Leadership: You either have this or you don't. Carr displays tremendous on-field leadership. He works with his receivers on the sideline, isn't afraid to get in their faces for bad routes on the field and has shown off-field leadership as well. This is one dynamic that separates Carr from other top-tier quarterback prospects. 

Intermediate/Deep Accuracy: I mentioned how Carr can zip the ball in there down the field, but that's not the end all be all when it comes to having success in the NFL. If it was, Jeff George and Ryan Leaf would have been successful pro quarterbacks. Not only is Carr the most accurate down-field passer in the draft, he is solid in the intermediate game (10-20 yards). He does a tremendous job catching his receivers in stride and will allow them to rack up the YAC (yards after the catch). One thing that Carr really has excelled in is the back shoulder throw, a necessity in the NFL. 

Weaknesses

Pocket Awareness: Carr struggles a great deal recognizing pressure and when to step either away from it or up from it. He doesn't do a good job reading blitzes, which can be a major issue in a more pro-style offense that forces a quarterback to escape pressure and find a secondary read. 

Lacks Elite On-Field Athleticism: Some will point to Carr's 40 time at the combine as evidence that he possesses tremendous athleticism. That might be true, but it doesn't translate well to the football field. His escapability in the pocket is in question, especially when he faces pressure from up the middle. The issue here is lateral quickness in such circumstances. In short, Carr will not beat you with his feet too often and cannot use that to overcome below-average pocket awareness. 

Doesn't Keep His Eyes Down the Field: Carr could be called the master of the checkdown. When something doesn't open up immediately, he tends to check the ball down to secondary targets, looking for a receiver to make a play after the catch. This might work against less-than-stellar competition, but it's not going to be a way to earn a living against the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers of the world. Carr needs to keep his eyes down the field, but he must fix one thing first...

Mechanics When Under Pressure: Carr tends to get flustered when he's under pressure. This forces him to 1) drop his arm prior to passing, which causes accuracy issues and 2) disables his ability to keep his eyes down the field. Mixed together, these are not great traits. Not only does Carr tend to struggle with his throwing motion when under pressure, his footwork breaks down on a consistent basis. 

NFL Comparison: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Just read Stafford's scouting reports coming out of Georgia and check in on how his career has gone thus far. Unforunately for Stafford, he hasn't necessarily progressed as it relates to the issues I raised with Carr, but that's a story for another time. Elite arm strength, an ability to make every throw on the field and above-average accuracy. Issues with footwork, recognizing pressure, feeling the blitz and dropping his shoulders at release. If Carr can fix the issues that are evident on tape, his ceiling is a better version of the former No. 1 overall pick.  

Draft Outlook

I currently have Carr among my top-10 prospects in the 2014 NFL draft. By no means does this indicate that the former Fresno State star will go in the top 10. A lot of this will depend on where Teddy Bridgewater and Johnny Manziel, two players NFL teams seem to be higher on than Carr, go in May. If they are selected within the first three or four picks, Carr will likely find himself off the board within the first 10 picks.

If not, he may see somewhat of a drop. All that said, it's hard to envision a scenario where Carr remains on the board when Day 1 comes to a conclusion. For what it's worth, Carr is my second-ranked quarterback of the draft class. 

Best Fits

In thinking long and hard about it, the Minnesota Vikings seem to make the most sense here. They might "miss out" on both Teddy and Johnny. Norv Turner could do wonders with Carr in a Vikings offense that includes young receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and a great receiving tight end in Kyle Rudolph. It also helps that Minnesota has a franchise left tackle in the form of Matt Kalil. 

If Carr were to fall out of the top half of the first round, the Arizona Cardinals and their vertical passing game makes a ton of sense. Just imagine Carr learning from Carson Palmer and eventually being able to throw the ball to Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald. That's sexy.