There's no doubt that Blake Bortles is a fan favorite, but he proved that he wasn't the long-term answer behind center. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but the Jacksonville Jaguars had better options in the 2014 NFL Draft and passed on all of them to take "The BOAT" at No. 3. That changed in a recent do-over, where they chose a quarterback that went on to have a fruitful career.
Max Cahdwick, Dalton Wasserman, and Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus redid the 2014 draft and had the Jags taking Derek Carr, noting that Bortles wasn't particularly great during his six seasons in Duval.
"Bortles ulitmately didn't pan out for the Jaguars, failing to earn a 70.0 PFF overall grade in any of his six seasons," PFF wrote. "In this redraft, Jacksonville opts for the recently retired Carr to bolster their passing attack."
PFF continued, "Carr was a solid starter for 11 years with the Raiders and Saints, earning an 86.6 career PFF passing grade. He was also one of the 10 most valuable quarterbacks in the league in four of those seasons, according to PFF WAR."
Bortles was a Fantasy Football darling in 2015, completing 58.6 percent of his throws for 4,428 yards with 35 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. However, the Jags went 5-11 that year, and most of his production came when the game was already out of reach. The former UCF Knight was the quarterback when Jacksonville reached the AFC Championship in 2017 but massively benefited from a stout defense that carried the offense.
But despite his shortcomings, Bortles got an extension after 2017. Unfortunately, it proved to be a major mistake from general manager Dave Caldwell, as he was benched by the midpoint of 2018. The Jags ultimately realized their mistake and cut him in 2019... just to drop the ball with Nick Foles.
Taking Derek Carr over Blake Bortles would've changed Jaguars history
Recent history doesn't paint a favorable light of Derek Carr. After spending nine seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, he played two injury-marred campaigns for the New Orleans Saints before he called it quits in 2025. However, the former Fresno Bulldog was a capable quarterback throughout most of his career. He may not have been top-10 but could still take a team into a deep playoff run if he had a solid supporting cast.
On top of that, it's easy to forget it now, but Carr was an MVP candidate in 2016. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious leg injury before the playoffs that year. While the four-time Pro Bowl nod got back at full strength, it seems like he never fully recovered mentally. And that's the thing, imagine what would've happened if the Jacksonville Jaguars had drafted him, and he never got hurt.
Perhaps Carr would've made the difference in the 2017 AFC Championship. Moreover, the Jags would probably not have cut him after 2018 and brought in Nick Foles. Just maybe, Carr could've turned Jacksonville into a potential contender. That's just how much the course of history might've changed if he had been the pick instead of Bortles.
Of course, the Jaguars now have a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, and dwelling in the past isn't of much use. That said, the prospect of how things might've changed if they had drafted Derek Carr is worthy of discussion.
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