Is Derek Carr the NFL’s future elite quarterback?

Nov 8, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws a pass under pressure from Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier (50) during the second half at Heinz Field. The Steelers won the game, 38-35. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

The landscape of the NFL quarterback hierarchy is starting to get a facelift. When you think of the best quarterbacks in the NFL over the past 5 years, a short list of names will always be in the Top 5 on anyone’s list: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers.

These are the cream of the crop when it comes to NFL quarterbacks. Just by stepping on the field these players give their team a chance to win, they elevate the play of their teammates, and every season they have a chance to win it all.

At this point, Manning and Brady are both pushing 40 and you have to start wondering how much longer they can keep it up. Manning is looking more and more human as time goes on, the decline of his physical abilities have been well documented and he is currently having his worst season since his first year in the league.

Brady claims he will still be playing 10 years from now, and as he is still playing at an elite level it looks like he might be right. As miraculous as that would be, no one escapes father time, and it’s logical to think that in a few years he will be stepping away from the game. Rodgers on the other hand, being only 32 years old, is still in his prime.

But who is going to step up and take one of the other positions at the top of the mountain next to Rodgers for the following years to come?  Well, myself and the entire Raider nation are hoping its the 36th overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, Derek Carr.

Since Derek has an opportunity to replace Peyton Manning, or possibly Tom Brady at the top of the mountain, it seems only fair that we compare him to his predecessors.

Next: Carr vs. Young Manning & Young Brady