The third quarterback is officially off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft. With the 65th overall pick, the Arizona Cardinals selected Carson Beck, who most recently led Miami to the College Football Playoff National Championship. It was the third straight offensive pick for the Cardinals in the draft.
Cardinals Depth Chart: Carson Beck Unlikely To Start for Arizona in 2026
Beck had a lengthy college career, including two years as Georgia’s starter before his move to Miami in his final season. He also had a redshirt year in 2020 and entered the NFL at 23.
Despite Beck’s long career in college football, his draft stock was never high. His level suffered from a serious injury late in 2024, which required surgery for his right elbow. Despite solid performances for Miami in 2025, his arm strength was affected by the surgery.
Barring a disastrous scenario for Arizona, Beck is not going to be a starter for the franchise in 2026. Jacoby Brissett is expected to be the starter after a solid 2025, while Gardner Minshew was signed to be their instant backup. The rookie will likely slot as the No. 3 quarterback in the depth chart.
Even with Beck joining as the No. 3 quarterback, the Cardinals could have a different quarterback than Brissett starting games. In recent weeks, he has asked for a raise after starting for most of the 2025 season. He’ll miss parts of the offseason program while negotiating a new deal with the team.
Arizona’s pick earned a D grade in our PFSN NFL Draft HQ. The scouting report on Beck isn’t glowing, confirming what many believed to be a risky pick by Mike LaFleur’s new team:
“He had surgery to repair the UCL in his right arm after the 2025 season, and his arm simply hasn’t been the same since. Arm strength was once a positive of Beck’s profile, but it is now a weakness, and it places a greater limitation on his outlook.
He has the processing ability and checkdown awareness to be a quality backup, but even as an exclusive pocket passer, he can experience bouts of inaccuracy and arm arrogance that induce volatility. Purely a Day 3 prospect, Beck’s experience underlies his value as a QB2 in the NFL.”
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His experience and intelligence could see him have a long-term career as a backup in the NFL. However, the most likely scenario is that Beck’s selection doesn’t take away the need for a franchise quarterback in Arizona. Unless he changes the script, fans probably shouldn’t be too excited about the pick.
According to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, Brissett had an impact score of 73.5 last season, ranking 25th in the league. He is also seeking to restructure his contract or get a new contract to get paid more by the Cardinals.
