Cardinals take stunning swing on QB in 3rd round. What's the grade?

Beck arrives in the NFL after a six-year collegiate career in which he spent five seasons at Georgia and one at Miami. He was widely projected to be selected on the third day of the draft — in rounds four through seven — but instead landed in Arizona with the first pick of the third round.

Last season, Beck completed 72.4% of his passes for 8.2 yards per attempt, with 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He is noted for his strength as a mental processor and working within the rhythm of the offense. He also has prototypical NFL size, at 6-foot-4, 233 pounds.

Put together, it’s a profile that stands in stark contrast to Kyler Murray, the Cardinals’ former franchise quarterback whom the organization released last month.

“He's big, he's tough, he's strong, he stands strong in the pocket,” general manager Monti Ossenfort said. “Not afraid to take a hit in the pocket. He's got good arm strength, he can drive the ball down the field. Good accuracy, good production. Those are all things that we liked.”

Beck, though, lacks standout traits beyond his size. Despite Ossenfort’s assessment, he is widely viewed to have below-average arm strength and lacks the athleticism to create outside the pocket — two factors that limit his ability to overcome adverse circumstances.

When pressured last season, Beck completed just 28 of 58 passes for 6.4 yards per attempt. On those dropbacks, he had three touchdowns, three interceptions and 16 sacks. Those statistical struggles under pressure were similarly apparent in 2024, although Ossenfort dismissed the concerns.

“We look at the tape and we evaluate him and his performance,” Ossenfort said. “And the guy's performed, the guy's won a lot of games and we were excited to add him.”

That experience was a factor Ossenfort repeatedly pointed to in his press conference after the selection. Beck has started 43 games over the past three seasons, including five in the College Football Playoff.

“When you see a player who has had big-game experience, when you make this transition to the NFL, there's more hope that it's not gonna be too big for them,” Ossenfort said. “So it's not gonna be a deer in the headlights.”

Still, the selection was seen as a stunning move in NFL circles. Few evaluators believe that Beck has the tools to develop into an NFL starter, with most viewing him as a career backup.

Plus, the move is a bet against recent history. In the past five draft classes, eight quarterbacks have been drafted in the third round: Kellen Mond, Davis Mills, Desmond Ridder, Malik Willis, Matt Corral, Hendon Hooker, Jalen Milroe and Dillon Gabriel. Of those players, only Willis is currently seen as a viable starter.

“I'm not a Carson Beck guy,” said draft analyst Dane Brugler on The Athletic Football Show. “I know what he is. I think the ceiling's pretty low for him in terms of what he is as an NFL quarterback. ... To me, you just don't draft that at pick 65.”

If that pessimistic projection becomes reality, it may have come at a high cost. The Cardinals passed up on multiple highly-touted players at positions of need, including offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan, defensive tackle Domonique Orange, defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim and edge rusher Keyron Crawford.

Drafting one of those pieces would have continued to build the foundation to potentially add a franchise quarterback in a highly-touted 2027 draft class. Instead, the Cardinals attempted to accelerate their timeline in finding a long-term answer at the position — although Ossenfort denied that doing so was a priority entering the draft.

“No, I don’t think so,” Ossenfort said. “We never want to force a pick. And ultimately, at 65, Carson was a great fit for us at that point.”

Beck now enters a murky quarterback room in Arizona, joining Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew. Brissett would appear to still have the inside track for the starting job, but he is currently absent from voluntary workouts as he seeks a pay raise.

Grade: D

Reaching for Beck makes little sense, and not just because of the value. Yes, he was projected as a Day 3 pick, behind LSU's Garrett Nussmeier. But more importantly, the Cardinals are a year away from being in a position to draft a franchise quarterback. This draft should have been about building the foundation to prepare that player for success, as they did in the first two rounds.