Carson Beck picked in third round of 2026 NFL Draft after title-game run with Hurricanes
Carson Beck opted to stay in college football for an extra season after his draft stock plummeted following a rough 2024 season at Georgia that ended with him tearing the UCL in his right elbow.
That led the quarterback to the Miami Hurricanes — and on a path to redefining himself.
And while he didn’t fully recover the stock he hoped to have a year ago, when the expectations were him potentially going in the first round, Beck did more than enough during his one season at Miami to get his shot in the NFL.
On Friday, the Arizona Cardinals drafted Beck with the first pick of the third round, No. 65 overall, on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Beck was the third quarterback selected in the draft, following Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza (No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders) and Alabama’s Ty Simpson (No. 13 to the Los Angeles Rams).
“I’m just so, so grateful that coach [Mario] Cristobal, [offensive coordinator Shannon] Dawson gave me the opportunity to come play quarterback at the University of Miami when I didn’t have an elbow,” Beck said. “I just had surgery. I couldn’t even throw a football. They trusted in me to go through that process and commit to the grind to be able to get back and ultimately play quarterback for this university. So I’m super grateful that they gave me that opportunity and super grateful to be a Miami Hurricane.”
Beck certainly left his mark.
While he was inconsistent at times during the season, he played a vital role in the Hurricanes reaching the College Football Playoff National Championship Game while leading the offense. He finished the season completing 72.4% of his passes (a single-season Hurricanes record) for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. He also ran for two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score in Miami’s thrilling 31-27 win over the Ole Miss Rebels in the Fiesta Bowl to reach the national championship game.
(Fittingly, State Farm Stadium, where Beck made that game-winning play, will now be his home field.)
Between his time at Georgia and Miami, Beck went 37-6 as a starting quarterback while throwing for 11,725 yards and 88 touchdowns with 32 interceptions.
With Beck being selected this year after Cam Ward went No. 1 overall in the draft in 2025, this marks the first time the Hurricanes had quarterbacks selected in consecutive drafts since Craig Erickson and Gino Torretta were drafted in 1992 and 1993, respectively.
What they’re saying
-NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein notes Beck’s “NFL-caliber size” and the fact that he has “a lot of experience playing in high-leverage games” as pluses.
“He recovered from 2024 UCL surgery on his throwing elbow, but he appeared to lose some drive velocity on deep balls and move throws. He works through progressions at a good pace and can throw with anticipation, but he loses track of safeties, throwing into hazardous spots. Beck’s decision-making showed more maturity in his final college season, but pressure can pull him back into old habits. He spins a catchable ball with a compact release, but spotty accuracy leads to pass breakups and a lower conversion rate on tight-window throws. Beck projects as a good backup with the potential to earn a starting job down the road, but he must continue developing game-managing instincts.”
-ESPN’s Field Yates has Beck as his No. 77 prospect and No. 3 quarterback.
-The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has Beck as his No. 145 overall draft prospect and No. 6 quarterback in the class, describing him as “a cerebral, experienced pocket passer, but he may struggle playing out of structure.”
“A technically sound passer with a fluid release, Beck processes well, both pre- and post-snap, and spins an accurate ball when his eyes/mechanics stay on time and connected. However, his poise breaks down versus pressure, which leads to forced throws and turnovers (he accounted for a combined 14 turnovers in his six career losses). Though he has some mobility to buy time, he will have a tough time creating off script when facing NFL speed.”
-CBS Sports had Beck as its No. 198 overall prospect and No. 7 quarterback in the draft. “The Florida native is a survivalist as a runner, but not someone for whom opposing defenses will game plan. He is more than capable reading out defenses, but occasionally looks like he is pre-determining where he is going with the football pre-snap even if it is covered. Beck has good arm strength to throw into tight windows and push the ball downfield.”
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