Derek Carr

Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr will have a private workout with the Cleveland Browns.

(Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns will conduct their private workout with Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr on Monday, a league source told cleveland.com.

The session will kick off what coach Mike Pettine has described as a "big list'' of Browns' exclusive quarterback auditions.

The team has come under heavy fire for not attending Johnny Manziel's Pro Day Thursday -- one of two teams along with the Bears to skip the session -- but they'll privately workout all of the top quarterbacks in the draft and most of the second-tier passers over the next month or so.

Private workouts can be conducted at the player's school or near his hometown. When they're brought in to the Browns facility for their pre-draft visits, they can only meet with coaches and undergo medical exams, not work out.

At the NFL Annual Meeting AFC coaches breakfast Tuesday morning, coach Mike Pettine paid Carr the ultimate compliment.

"I think he's the best natural thrower as far as arm strength and when you're just looking at the guy, natural thrower, in the draft,'' said Pettine. "(He's) very physically gifted. And a lot of times it's hard to bet against the family history as well. You're talking about like a Jake Matthews that it's the old 'don't bet against the genetics.' I think he certainly falls into that category as well.''

Carr, the younger brother of 2002 No. 1 overall pick David Carr, is believed to be high on the Browns' list of options with one of their early picks.

Question is? Will they take him with their No. 4 overall pick?

Heading into the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last month, Carr was ranked by most experts behind the big three -- Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel -- but at the top of the second tier of quarterbacks.

But Carr's stock has skyrocketed as pro teams have studied him more, and he now belongs in the conversation with the top three, according to Cardinals coach Bruce Arians.

"Yeah, he's got those measurables and he's won a lot of ballgames,'' Arians said Wednesday at the NFC coaches breakfast. "I'll have to study him more, but I wouldn't be surprised (if he goes in the top five).''

If the Browns like Carr, they can't risk waiting until No. 26 to take him. According to David White of the Sacramento Bee, the Raiders at No. 5 have a "massive crush'' on Carr despite trading for Texans quarterback Matt Schaub, whom the Browns coveted.

The Raiders sent a large contingent, including head coach Dennis Allen, to Carr's recent pro day, in which he impressed scouts and coaches with his big arm and pinpoint passing despite suffering from nausea and vomiting early that morning. Carr even needed intravenous fluids before the workout.

What's more, Tony Pauline of draft insider.net reported that “at least 17 quarterback coaches polled at the combine rank Derek Carr over Johnny Manziel.”

Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who's helping coach Mike Zimmer scout the quarterbacks for their No. 8 pick, was also at the Carr Pro Day and raved about him.

“Obviously, he was very impressive today,” Turner told the Associated Press. “He came out and showed he has a strong arm, very accurate, he made all the throws. He had a heck of a workout.”

Carr (6-2, 214) led the nation with 5,082 yards and 50 touchdowns in 2013 to set Fresno State records. In addition to running a pro-style offense under former Browns assistant Pat Hill, Carr ran the spread under Tim DeRuyter.

At the combine, Carr scoffed at the notion that he's a second-tier quarterback in this draft.

“From the evaluations I’ve got and from the meetings I’ve had, I don’t care what those rankings are,'' he said. "I know what I’ve heard and what they’ve said

to me. They’re not going to sugarcoat anything for me. I love what people say outside of those circles. It’s fun for me to hear because I know what

the teams are saying and what they’re telling me. It’s been really good so far.”

Pettine defended the Browns' decision to skip the pro days in favor of these upcoming private sessions.

"We’ve always felt – I felt this way coming in and Ray (Farmer) has to – that you get a lot more out of a private workout when it’s a little less scripted or it’s scripted the way you want it scripted, where you can kind of throw some curveballs at a player and see how they react to it. It’s like the difference between a guy hitting home runs at batting practice vs. live pitching,'' Pettine said. "I think it’s important you get that concentrated view of a player instead of something that’s borderline artificial. We certainly get the video of the pro days and see them, so you kind of get the best of both worlds.''