When the Arizona Cardinals took Miami QB Carson Beck with the first spot in the third round, was this something that was supposed to happen? Were the Cardinals actually looking to take a signalcaller in this year’s draft, or wait until next year?
The QB room was already full with Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and Kedon Slovis. Most NFL clubs keep three quarterbacks on their final roster, so now, somebody is the odd man out.
RELATED: CARDINALS CHOOSE QB CARSON BECK
So, if the answer is that Arizona
was going to take a young buck to develop and learn, why Beck? What does he offer the Cardinals?
Beginnings
Beck grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, and attended Mandarin High School, where he was a star on the baseball diamond and the football gridiron. His personality is calm and always confident, and in control.
In his sophomore year, he committed to play baseball at nearby Florida. But then he guided Mandarin to a state championship where he threw for 3,546 yards and 30 touchdowns. This made his attitude change about which sport to pursue. He helped turn around a football program from 2-8-0 to a state championship season and then was personally rewarded by being voted “Florida Mr. Football.”
High School accolades:
- 2018 “Florida Mr. Football” award
- Four-star prospect
- Two-time First Team 8A All-State
- USA Today Offensive Player of the Year
- 2018 State Champion
- Two-time Florida Times-Union All-District
His parents are Chris and Tracy Beck, who still reside in Jacksonville. Chris played linebacker for Navy and retired as a naval officer. His mom is a retired dancer with the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) NBA team. The couple also has a daughter, Kylie, who was on the Georgia Bulldogs cheerleading squad.
Chris was Carson’s first football coach back in Pop Warner with the Duval Parks and Recreation League. Carson eventually started playing quarterback and was also a linebacker. The couple are now divorced.
Before high school was up, he decided to focus more on football and accepted a scholarship offer from Alabama. He then flipped to Georgia.
He had additional offers from Miami, Penn State, Florida State, USF, Arkansas, Florida Atlantic, Purdue, Georgia Tech, Boston College, and Maryland.
Georgia was his childhood college team, but he remained a backup for his first two seasons. He only tossed 628 balls for 7,912 yards in that timespan. IN 2023, he led the SEC in attempts (417), completions (302), and passing yards (3,941)in 2023 when he finally became the starter. Georgia finished 13-1-0 and played for the SEC Championship and won. He injured his UCL in the game. Before this contest, he considered coming out for the draft.
He started 19 games in the next two seasons, tossing 58 TDs. Georgia went 11-3-0 and 12-2-0. During his time with Georgia, Beck started 27 games and amassed a 24-3-0 record while throwing 58 TDs with just 20 picks for 7,912 yards.
Beck went into the portal to get a new environment and very quickly decided on Miami for his next journey as he secured a $3 million NIL deal. His girlfriend, influencer Hanna Cavinder, was already a student at Miami.
Once he got to Miami, he created quite a stir when he purchased a Lamborghini Urus Performance for himself and another one for Hanna. Shortly thereafter, he was interviewed and asked why he bought such expensive vehicles. He stated, “It just puts a smile on my face.”
In February of 2025, one of the Lambos was stolen along with a Mercedes and a Range Rover when his home was burglarized and made national news.
Miami earned the #10 seed in the College Football Playoff. They defeated Texas A&M, Ohio State, and then Ole Miss before meeting Indiana in the title game, a 27-21 loss.
His college stats: 55 games played, 1,390 attempts, 966 completions, 72.4% completion percentage, 11,725 yards, 88 TDs, 32 interceptions, 156,6 QB rating, 189 rushing attempts for 288 yards and an additional seven TDs.
College accolades:
- Two-time National Champion
- Third Team All-ACC
- Second Team All-SEC (2023)
His Pro Day results:
Height: 6’-5”
Weight: 233 pounds
Hand: 10”
Arm: 30 5/8”
Wingspan: 75”
40-yard dash: 4.84
10-yard shuttle: DNP
3-cone: DNP
225-pound bench press: DNP
Vertical jump: 32”
Broad jump: DNP
College games: 50
College snaps: 2,840
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Follow on social media:
Twitter: @carsonbeck01
Instagram: @carsonbeck
What should Cardinals fans expect from Beck?
His track record as a consistent winner has impressed analysts, and at 6’-4”, he has plenty of size for an NFL quarterback and is very intelligent. Beck has been a winner everywhere he has played, and in his football career has won three championships. He had the second-best completion percentage in the country at 72.4%, throwing for 3,813 yards and a career-high 30 touchdowns in leading Miami to the College Football Playoff. He’s a selfless leader and loves the process and hard work it takes to be successful.
WHY HE COULD SUCCEED:
During the three years he was the starter at Georgia, his squads went 24-4-0. Add Miami’s 13-3-0 record, and that indicates his teams win lots of games. Beck is a pocket technician with a very quick processing speed. His release mechanism stays compact through different arm angles. Very good decision maker and rarely forces a throw. Strong arm.
His ability to take off and gain yardage with his legs has improved and evolved. Have to love his height and wants the ball in his hands when critical moments occur late in the game. He is a tough kid and resilient. If Arizona can stash him for a year and allow him to learn from the two veterans, all this would do is get him ready and more prepared.
Make no mistake about this pick. Beck is the new head coach, Mike LaFleur’s choice to become the starting quarterback of the future. There won’t be any more speculation going forward in future drafts. Beck is the one. Stash him a year and see what develops.
WHY HE COULD FAIL:
As good as his accuracy is on intermediate passes, his deep ball throws are all over the place. He is also susceptible to inside pressure, which can force early releases. He has had trajectory issues in the past, and any type of coverage disguise creates false reads. Making smart decisions during critical moments has raised concerns.
Beck can throw it a country mile, but can’t find his receivers. And for some reason, his postgame interviews after a key loss are about what his teammates did or did not do. Throwing another guy under any bus just isn’t cool.
