In a recent NFL quarterback ranking, Derek Carr was placed behind the rest of the AFC West QBs. However, Carr will take over the division, and he will be better than Alex Smith, Philip Rivers, and Peyton Manning next season.

There is no doubt that the Oakland Raiders have found their franchise quarterback in Derek Carr. He showed great potential during his rookie campaign. With his high skill level and new surrounding talent, nothing will stop Carr’s progression to being the best QB in the division.

Manning’s health is diminishing, Smith was never a great passer, and Rivers has been Southern California’s best choke artist his entire career. Obviously, Carr is young and not past the prime of his career like the other three AFC West starting quarterbacks.

The things that make Derek Carr special far outweigh the attributes that Manning, Smith, and Rivers have to offer. Carr may not be as fast as Colin Kaepernick, but he certainly is a top-notch athlete that can help spread an offense. To make things even better, Carr also has the balance, awareness, and presence of a perfect pocket passer.

A lot of young guys in the league today, such as Kaepernick and Russell Wilson, find their ability outside of the pocket. However, Carr has the ability to make things happen on a simple three-step drop back. Of course Carr needs to prove himself this season, but he has shown clear glimpses of a guy who’s smart and ready to be a star.

Derek Carr also showed great poise and patience despite being a rookie on a dreadful Raiders team last year. Any other rookie quarterback would have wet himself in front of Oakland’s home crowd against the likes of the Broncos and the 49ers.

Instead, Carr rose to the occasion and lead the team nobly. Any fan of the Silver and Black knows that their team was on a horrible losing streak this season. Fortunately, the Raiders were able to scrap some wins together at the same time Carr started to show previews of things to come.

In the win against the 49ers, Carr finally asserted himself as the deserving franchise quarterback who would take the Raiders to higher levels of success.

Carr was simply outstanding in that game. Yes, the Niners were also struggling at the time, but Carr completed 22 of 28 passes with three touchdowns. Even more importantly, Carr had zero interceptions in that game while Kaepernick threw two.

The point is that Carr is cool under pressure. He’s a level headed athlete that will use every tool in his disposal to dominate the AFC West and the entire NFL.

However, there is another key factor that will make opposing defenses scared to face Derek Carr and the new Oakland Raiders. Say hello to Amari Cooper.

Without a doubt, the duo of Carr and Cooper will be insane. It will be electrifying, and it will be history in the making.

Through raiders.com, Bucky Brooks and Nate Burleson were on The Dave Dameshek Football Program on NFL.com. They talked about Cooper and gave him some great praise. Brooks said:

“I think Amari Cooper is going to rip it up, just watching what we’ve seen from him in Oakland, his route running has even improved from the time he left Alabama. He is going to be a guy who right now comes in and plays.”

Just like Carr, Cooper is equally smart and hardworking as he is athletic. If you’ve followed recent offseason progress for the Raiders, you may have seen the numerous great things Carr has had to say about Cooper. They are already building positive vibes between each other, and the chemistry between them will turn into an epic show once the season rolls around.

Because of his skills, intelligence, athleticism, cool vibes, and new weapons, Carr will soon become one of the fiercest quarterbacks in the NFL. The Carr/Cooper duo will absolutely bring instant gratification that will help the Raiders take control of the AFC West this season.