Carson Beck’s phone stayed quiet on Thursday night. Despite some late buzz that had credible NFL insiders floating him as a potential back-end first-round pick, the Miami quarterback watched Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft end without hearing his name called.
Only two quarterbacks went off the board in Pittsburgh: Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders and Alabama’s Ty Simpson at No. 13 to the Los Angeles Rams.
Why the Carson Beck First-Round Rumors Never Materialized
Earlier this week, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that a player personnel director, a Southeast area scout, and a pass game coach all told him they could envision Beck going late in the first round or early in the second.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero went on the “Rich Eisen Show” and said he wouldn’t “100% rule out” Beck sneaking into the bottom of Round 1.
However, he wasn’t picked, and the reason has a bit to do with Beck’s tape and a bit to do with how he’s perceived.
Beck underwent UCL surgery in December 2024 after tearing the ligament late in his final Georgia season. In 2025, with Miami, he didn’t look like the processor who earned a 91.0 PFSN CFB QB Impact grade back in 2023. He threw 12 interceptions this past season, matching his 2024 total, and the velocity drop surfaced most on intermediate throws where there’s little margin for error.
“Beck isn’t much of a creator, his arm is locked at perhaps 60% of its normal capacity, and the periodic flaws in situational precision and decision making further cloud his projection,” PFSN lead draft analyst Ian Cummings wrote in his pre-draft evaluation.
Then, there’s Beck’s personality. One coach told SI’s Albert Breer that Beck is “a bit of a loner.” One NFC coordinator echoed this concern.
“He’s smart — probably the smartest kid in the class,” one NFC coordinator told Breer. “But the personality is tough. I wouldn’t touch him.”
“There’s this sense that this guy is a villain. I don’t know where that comes from. Maybe it was leaving Georgia,” one coach added.
Beck has also been involved in some drama, as he was previously in a high-profile relationship with influencer Hanna Cavinder, and their messy breakup featured rumors of infidelity.
Between the red flags about his game and some of the personality concerns, don’t be shocked if Beck continues to slide in the 2026 NFL Draft. Cummings has a late Day 3 grade on Beck and projects him as a QB3 or suitable backup. In PFSN’s Day 2 and 3 NFL mock draft, analyst Jacob Infante predicts Beck will all the way to pick No. 149, landing with none other than the Cleveland Browns in Round 5.
Beck’s NFL Scouting Report
Beck was a QB1 candidate entering the 2025 NFL Draft cycle. His 2024 campaign was reasonably productive, and Georgia still went 11-2 under his watch, but a notable regression in accuracy and decision making led Beck to return to school and transfer to Miami for his final season. In his final season, Beck helped lead Miami to a national championship appearance, but his stock remains tempered.
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.
The New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, and Pittsburgh Steelers are among the teams that have been mentioned as possible landing spots for Beck on Day 2 or 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
