Sam Monson of PFF recently released his quarterback rankings for the 2023 NFL season, and Saints quarterback Derek Carr earned an interesting spot on the list. Per the article, the big-name free agent signee is the 14th-best quarterback in the NFL, in the same tier as guys like Matthew Stafford, Deshaun Watson, Geno Smith, and Jared Goff.
Derek Carr Finishes 14th in PFF Quarterback Rankings
The Article
Monson begins his explanation of Carr’s spot in the rankings by pointing out that the quarterback didn’t exactly set the world on fire in 2022. “Last year’s 66.6 PFF grade was the lowest of Carr’s career outside of his rookie season. In what was supposed to be a solid season, Carr’s big plays declined and he was notably less accurate overall.”
Fortunately, the PFF analyst believes that Derek Carr will likely improve during his first season with the New Orleans Saints. “[2022] likely represents the floor of Carr’s play, and he has typically been a borderline top-10 player over the course of his career.”
In fairness to Monson, he is right that 2022 was the worst season Carr’s had in quite some time. While a decent portion of that could fall on a fundamental conflict between the quarterback and first-year head coach Josh McDaniels, the fact of the matter is that Carr took a step back last year and didn’t even finish the season as a starting quarterback. While he should improve in a better environment, is it enough to justify a higher rating?
Derek Carr on working with Mike Thomas ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/2TG6PljEkJ
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) June 6, 2023
Where Should Derek Carr Rank on the PFF Quarterback Rankings?
It goes without saying that Derek Carr is no Patrick Mahomes and he probably has no business being anywhere near the top 8-10 quarterbacks on the PFF rankings. However, there is a case to be made that he belongs pretty high up in the third tier of quarterbacks – the “good but not great” guys that can win games in the right environment.
Per Monson’s rankings, those players are (in order) Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, Tua Tagovailoa, Matthew Stafford, Deshaun Watson, Geno Smith, Jared Goff, Daniel Jones, Justin Fields, and Ryan Tannehill. Carr lands right between Watson and Smith, and there is a case to be made that he should slide in above Stafford and possibly Watson.
Both Stafford and Watson are better when Carr when they’re at the top of their game, but it’s anyone’s guess if either player will look like themselves in 2023. Stafford is coming off a serious back injury, has taken a lot of hits over the years, and isn’t exactly in the most quarterback-friendly situation. Watson, meanwhile, looked awful during his limited time as Cleveland’s starting quarterback. Does he need to simply knock off the rust after essentially missing two years of football, or is this just who he is now?
Ultimately, the present-day version of Derek Carr should probably slide in right around the 12-15 range on the PFF rankings. So, while he’s no superstar, he’s still a solid starter, and one that should take the Saints to the playoffs against one of the easiest schedules in the NFL.
Main Photo: Stephen Lew – USA Today Sports
