The consensus opinion in the NFL draft community has been Teddy Bridgewater as the top quarterback in this year’s draft. But recently a number of people have listed Fresno State’s Derek Carr and Central Florida's Blake Bortles as the top quarterbacks.

For me, I have Carr as the top option over Bridgewater, but that is not a knock to the Louisville star. Both quarterbacks have the potential to be franchise players, but for me, Carr’s physical tools put him over Teddy by the slightest of margins.

Stature

Carr is 6'3" and 220 pounds, which is nearly the prototype for a quarterback. Teddy Bridgewater stands at 6'3" inches as well, but is listed at less than 200 pounds.  Teddy will likely put on weight for the NFL, but that may lessen his mobility a tad, since he has played at this weight for years. Derek Carr is a better athlete than Bridgewater, and since he is already at 220 pounds, this is a big positive in terms of Carr’s projection to the NFL.

Arm Talent

Carr has one of, if not the strongest arms coming out this season, and while Bridgewater does not have a weak arm, it is not at the level of Carr’s.  While arm strength does not mean everything, as Peyton Manning has proven, it is still a plus. One argument for Teddy over Carr was the accuracy, and personally, I believe Carr is more accurate.

Both are very good inside 15 yards, but the deep ball is where Carr separates himself. His touch on a long pass is incredible, and multiple times this season it has been the difference between an interception and a touchdown. If you go back and watch the New Mexico game, Carr floats three balls perfectly into his receivers’ “bread basket” and leads them directly to the end zone. This is a talent that is needed in the NFL to be a top tier quarterback, and Derek Carr can do it with the best of them.

Intangibles

Currently, there has been talk that Teddy Bridgewater’s “intangibles” are through the roof. That may or may not be true, but there is only so much we can see from the outside. The NFL Combine may shed more light on this, and hopefully both quarterbacks interview well.

In terms of talent, Derek Carr is second to none in this class, which is why he is my top-rated quarterback as of right now.