The Senior Bowl is an extra game for college football players with senior eligibility to put themselves on display for scouts and GMs, but for Derek Carr, it could push his stock into the first round of the NFL Draft.
Out of Fresno State, Carr is one of the most impressive and highly-rated senior passers available. Only problem for him is Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel and Blake Bortles are underclassmen who left college early for the pros and are all projected top-10 picks.
NFL.com's Andy Fenelon called Carr "the most impressive quarterback at the Senior Bowl practices this week." Still, no NFL general managers appear to be chomping at the bit to draft him in the first round.
Outside Bridgewater, Manziel and Bortles, Carr even appears rated slightly lower than fellow senior AJ McCarron, who chose not to play in the Senior Bowl. The Texans, Raiders and Jaguars all appear to have gaping needs for a quarterback and all pick within the top five. The Browns could be the best fit for Carr, should he be taken in the first round, where the team has an early and late pick.
Speaking on the Bull and Fox CBS radio show in Cleveland Friday, Carr said he could envision himself playing for any team that wants him and welcomes him in to the city.
"If they want me, absolutely," said Carr. "I just want to go to a city and a team that loves me and wants me."
As is standard procedure at the Senior Bowl, Carr spoke to NFL representatives, including the Browns, NFL.com reported. Jaguars coach Gus Bradley is going to get a good look at Carr, as he will coach the South team in the Senior Bowl.
While the game may be seen as pointless to some, it can be springboard to a higher selection in the draft. The Bills selected EJ Manuel 16th overall last year after he was the Senior Bowl MVP.
Bradley said he will be looking for leadership qualities should the team decide to pursue a QB through the draft. Carr has been lauded for his "intangible" qualities like leadership ability and work ethic.
"I want to see our quarterbacks lead. They need to lead a team," Bradley told the Associated Press. "If we can become a team quickly, now there's another evaluation that takes place: Can these quarterbacks lead our team that we developed in four days? We'll compete any way we can to find out about these guys."