Carson Beck came to Miami needing to prove he was healthy again after elbow surgery, and wanted to remind NFL teams he could still look like a starting-caliber quarterback. A new ESPN mock draft suggests he helped himself do exactly that.
In Matt Miller's new seven-round 2026 mock published Monday, Beck is projected to the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 65 overall pick, the first selection of the third round.
Carson Beck lands new Day 2 NFL draft projection
Miller's projection sends Beck to Arizona after the Cardinals miss out on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in the second round.
Miller also has Arizona taking Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft.
The Cardinals' quarterback room is basically setup as bridge QB situation right now. They officially released Kyler Murray on March 11, and Arizona is now moving forward with Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew. Brissett started the final 12 games of 2025 after Murray's season ended early.
Miami gave Beck a chance to rebuild his draft stock
Beck arrived from Georgia after undergoing offseason elbow surgery and entered 2025 unsure what to expect from himself physically. By the end of the year, that uncertainty had mostly gone away. Beck threw for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns during the Hurricanes' run to the College Football Playoff championship game.
At his pro day, Beck gave credit to HC Mario Cristobal and OC Shannon Dawson in trusting him to come to Coral Gables when he "didn't have an elbow" and had just had surgery.
Before joining the Hurricanes, Beck started the final two seasons of his Georgia career and threw for 7,912 yards and 58 touchdowns with the Bulldogs. That experience, combined with what he showed at Miami, is part of why evaluators still see a pro QB worth developing.