ALAMEDA, Calif. -- With the third pick in the 2014 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Blake Bortles.
Thirty-three selections and a day later, the Oakland Raiders, having already drafted Khalil Mack at No. 5 overall, selected Derek Carr. He was the fourth quarterback taken, after Bortles, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater.
So yeah, Carr has it all in his mental Rolodex as the Raiders prep for a game Sunday at the Jaguars -- even if he’s not getting overly sentimental about seeing a competitor with whom he got friendly during that draft process nearly three years ago.
“When you think of your (draft) class, you always think of those guys,” Carr said Wednesday. “But, as I’ve been playing through the years, you don’t really think about it because it’s so far removed. Right when it happens, you’re like, ‘Man, I can’t wait (to play them),’ but once you get past that, it doesn’t even matter. You’re just trying to win football games.”
Since that draft, Carr’s record of 13-24 is second among those top four QB picks, behind Bridgewater’s 17-11. Bortles is 10-24 while Manziel, who is out of the league, is 2-6.
Bortles recalled striking up a quick friendship with Carr during the draft process and being together for a visit with the Jaguars.
“We talk every now and then -- I still have his number, still text him here and there,” Bortles said. “We’ll talk in the offseason and throughout the year, but he’s an unbelievable guy. He’s a guy that I definitely check and see how he’s doing throughout the year after every game and rooting for, and look forward to seeing him Sunday.”
Same goes for Raiders running back Latavius Murray. Sort of.
Murray and Bortles were college teammates at Central Florida and, as Murray said, they were “practically” roommates.
“He’s the enemy,” Murray said with a smile. “I’d love to see him throw a few balls... our guys’ way.”
Murray, though, would not entertain a request to compare and contrast Bortles and Carr.
“Obviously, this weekend, I wish D.C. nothing but the best of success,” Murray said of Carr. “After that, Blake can do whatever he does.
“Blake is taller. I’ll give you that.”
Both quarterbacks seem to be coming into their own of late, though.
Carr’s name was being bandied about as a league MVP candidate through five games, and Bortles’ hurry-up offense sparked the Jags to a comeback win over the Chicago Bears last weekend.
“They lit up a lot of people over the last two and a half years and they have a good group of people around them,” Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said of Carr and Bortles. “Both (are) good, young players in this league.”
There is also a connection with Jaguars offensive coordinator Greg Olson, who was Oakland’s O.C. when the Raiders drafted Carr.
“I think whenever I play against a friend, it’s a good thing I don’t play against them because if I played defense, it wouldn’t help,” Carr joked. “I’m better off helping us on the offensive side of the ball.
“It’s not me literally playing against him, but being able to see him out there and watch him play will be fun. But this will be the one time I don’t root for him.”