Derek Carr was the fourth quarterback chosen in the 2014 NFL Draft, slipping into the shallows of Round 2 to the delight of the Oakland Raiders.
But with nearly two pro seasons behind them, NFL Media draft expert Mike Mayock believes Carr should have been the first QB picked in that draft.
"If I had to re-do that draft right now, as far as quarterbacks ... I'd probably say that (Carr) would be my No. 1 guy out of that group. He's really played well," Mayock told The Proper Gentlemen of Sports radio show in Houston on Wednesday.
Carr has been vastly improved this season as a second-year starter for the Raiders, throwing for 3,178 yards in 12 starts with a TD-INT ratio of 26-9. The Jaguars' Blake Bortles (No. 3), the Browns' Johnny Manziel (No. 22) and the Vikings' Teddy Bridgewater (No. 32) were picked ahead of Carr in 2014.
None have been as effective this season as the former Fresno State star.
NFL Media analyst Lance Zierlein, who hosted Mayock on the radio interview, took the Carr praise a step further last week. Zierlein re-drafted the entire first round of 2014, and made Carr the first overall pick of the Houston Texans.
"I was not a (Jadeveon) Clowney guy. I fully recognized all of his potential, but I felt like Khalil Mack was a better football player," Mayock said. "I felt like he was just as good or better on the field, and I felt like you weren't dealing with the injuries and the other stuff off the field ... to me it was a no-brainer."
The Raiders are used to retro-criticism on drafts, but between top picks Carr, Mack and offensive guard Gabe Jackson, the club's 2014 haul is looking unassailable.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
