The Oakland Raiders have emerged as a premiere team heading into the 2017 NFL season, with quarterback Derek Carr and defensive end Khalil Mack leading the charge. Although Carr’s leg injury ended their 2016 aspirates, it is now a thing of the past, as Carr has emerged healthy and ready to lead his team.
The NFL has put together their annual Top 100 players list, usually occurring during this offseason time heading into training camp. The NFL announced players 11 through 20 on the list this week, with Carr emerging into a top 20 talent in the NFL.
According to the rankings, Carr is the 11th best player in the NFL, after cracking the No. 100 spot in the 2016 rankings. The third-year quarterback put together a Pro-Bowl campaign this past season, while also premiering as a leader and at the head of his generation of quarterbacks.
Carr threw for 3937 yards and 28 touchdowns in 15 starts last season, with a QBR of 62.1. He led the Raiders to a 12-3 record, while also conducting many fantastic fourth quarter comebacks. The 26-year-old quarterback is entering a contract year in 2017, but remains insistent that contract talks will die if not done by training camp.
The leader of the Raiders wants his teammates to know that he is all business, buying into head coach Jack Del Rio’s professionalism and team-first mentality. However, Raiders fans need not to worry about Carr becoming a free agent, as he has insisted he wants to be a Raider for life.
Announcing them in increments of 10, the list has now dwindled down to the last 10 spots. To the surprise of Raiders fans everywhere, Mack has yet to appear on the list. Mack was ranked the 13th best player in the 2016 countdown, meaning that he has earned his way onto the top 10.
Fellow Raiders Amari Cooper (No. 53) and Kelechi Osemele (No. 95) have also joined the list, signaling at least four Raiders on the list. The unveiling of the final 10 spots will occur on the next episode, which is set for next Monday, at 9:00 P.M. EST.
