2026 NFL draft: Grading the Carson Beck pick for Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals made quarterback Carson Beck their third-round pick, selecting with the 65th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Everyone expected the Cardinals to draft a quarterback, and they did.

Was he a good draft pick for the Cardinals?

What to like about the Carson Beck pick

Beck played a ton of football and played in big games. He started 43 games. He led Miami to the national championship game last year. He won games, going 37-6.

He has the requisite size and 6-5 and 233 pounds. He throws the ball well and has good accuracy.

He is good presnap and showed he can learn a new offensive season.

He was a good teammate.

He has the tools to be, at minimum, a quarterback who will stick around as a backup on NFL rosters for a long time and will start a few times.

The downside to the pick

Beck is probably the best quarterback option for Arizona outside of Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson, but the only thing that isn't great is that he was taken in Round 3.

While he could end up starting games as a rookie for a Cardinals team that isn't expected to be good, selecting him in Round 3 meant picking a quarterback who probably is not the future starter instead of a foundational player who will build the roster around a future quarterback.

The Cardinals had not yet addressed tackle or the defensive edge, two of their biggest needs entering the draft.

Now, if the Cardinals didn't believe Beck would be available on Day 3, then the pick is understandable. Beck in Round 4 would have been met with fist bumps and excitement. In Round 3, instead it is met with "Hmm, all right."

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