Carson Beck's draft stock has been on a steady rise heading into April. Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest positional rankings have the former Miami signal caller as the No. 3 QB in the 2026 class, behind only Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Alabama's Ty Simpson.
That is a big step for Beck after a season in which he threw for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns for the Hurricanes. But the more interesting question surrounding Beck is how high he can actually go in the 2026 NFL draft.
Mel Kiper likes Carson Beck, but not as a Round 1 reach
Beck's QB3 ranking by Kiper does not automatically translate to a first-round projection. Kiper isn't projecting Beck as a Day 1 guy. In fact, he has previously mentioned the Rams at No. 29 might be better off waiting until Day 2 for guys like Beck, Drew Allar or Trinidad Chambliss, rather than reaching.
The Rams have also been connected to Simpson, so if he is available at No. 29 then that would certainly lower the chances of Beck getting the call at that spot.
That also shows just how thin this QB class is. Being QB3 in a "weaker" class can still leave a quarterback outside of Round 1, despite the need and importance of the position.
Daniel Jeremiah's view on Carson Beck
In Daniel Jeremiah's three-round mock released last month, Beck went to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 65 overall, which is the first pick of the third round.
Beck is not being treated like a no-doubt first-round quarterback, but he is still very much in the range where teams could talk themselves into taking him late in the second round or early in the third round.
And for what it's worth, that is huge leap from where Beck stood around this time last year.
So where might Carson Beck actually go in the 2026 NFL draft?
Based on Kiper and Jeremiah, Beck looks more like a Day 2 to early Day 3 quarterback even though he is high in the positional rankings. If Simpson goes off the board on Day 1 then that might help Beck hear his name called earlier, but that's certainly no guarantee since teams have their own rankings that they trust more.
Beck might be lower on the board for some teams, so even if he is available late in the second or early in the third round, teams might opt to pass or take a different QB.
Beck truly is going into the draft with tons of possibilities, but one this is for certain: He will hear his name called at some point, even if it is later on in the process.