Getty Former Brown QB EJ Perry.
Though Derek Carr has yet to sign a contract extension, all signs point to him being with the Las Vegas Raiders for the foreseeable future. The team hasn’t shown interest in other quarterbacks and recently signed Nick Mullens to serve as a backup. Mullens is a decent quarterback but he’s not exactly competing for a starting spot anywhere.
The Raiders don’t have a pick in the first or second round of the draft but could look to add a quarterback with some upside later in the draft or as an undrafted free agent. According to NFL Network’s Peter Schrager, Las Vegas visited with Brown quarterback EJ Perry.
Here’s a fun one.
Brown QB EJ Perry, who also played on the Brown basketball team, had a Top-30 visit with the Raiders today.
The Ivy League hasn’t exactly been a farm for elite quarterback talent but Perry is interesting. He was named First-Team All-Ivy League in 2019 and 2021. Last season, he threw for 3,034 yards and 23 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers but they’re solid.
What makes Perry interesting is that he was also a basketball player in college. He made more of an impact on the football field but not a lot of quarterbacks coming into the NFL have a basketball background. Perry can also make plays with his feet. He had 1,129 rushing yards over his last two seasons playing for Brown.
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Where Does Perry Rank Among QB Prospects?
Brown isn’t one of the hottest quarterback prospects coming out of college. DraftWire has him ranked the 14th overall prospect at the position. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein sees Perry as an option for called running plays but not much more:
Productive quarterback who became a dual-threat playmaker against Ivy League competition. Perry has average size and arm strength but below-average mechanics and consistency as a passer. He doesn’t value the football enough as a decision-maker and lacks a desired level of ball placement. His toughness and talent as a runner create attention, as teams might ask Perry to add a few more pounds in order to see if he can become a valuable Swiss Army Knife who’s able to help at a variety of positions, including special teams.
Perry isn’t going to be the next Ryan Fitzpatrick but he does have a skill set that could make him useful. Perhaps the Raiders like the idea of stashing him on the practice squad to possibly use him as a dual-threat option down the road.
Patriots Had Track Record of Drafting QBs
Despite having the greatest quarterback of all time for two decades in Tom Brady, the New England Patriots regularly drafted quarterbacks. Josh McDaniels is no longer in New England but he could bring a lot of those principles to Las Vegas. Matt Cassel, Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett were all drafted by the Patriots while Brady was still playing and all of them went on to have productive careers. They also helped New England win some games when Brady had to miss time.
Carr is an iron man and has only missed two starts in his career. However, he’s getting older and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
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