Simms' 2026 QB Countdown: Carson Beck
Though he may appear to be a third-string quarterback with the Cardinals, Carson Beck has several attributes that could make him the most "game-ready" quarterback from the 2026 draft class, says Chris Simms.
Video Transcript
So, with that being said, number 43.
Number 43 will be- This is like the Mr.
Irrelevant almost.
I know, I know.
Okay, well, and he's not irrelevant because he, he might get on the field this year according or d- you know, depending on how the team is.
But number 43 will be Carson Beck, the Arizona Cardinals', you know, the draft pick from the Miami Hurricanes.
Of course, a guy that's been kinda controversial and probably over-scrutinized.
I like Carson Beck coming out in the draft, you know that.
I didn't love him, but I realize his film and all that, he's probably the most game ready.
So people are gonna go, "Wait, you had Baron Morton or, or Gus Meyer ranked ahead of him."
Yeah, they're not playing this year.
They're not relevant this year in the NFL, right?
And I like them because of their talent, and I think they have more high-end talent.
It's not to say Carson Beck isn't maybe more ready right now to play pro football.
So that, there's difference, there's nuance in that.
And Carson Beck, yes, as we sit here right now, is a third-string quarterback.
That won't be forever.
He'll be a de facto third until about halfway through the year, and then if let's just say they're two and seven, they're not gonna go to Gardner Minshew.
They're gonna go to Carson Beck and go, "Do we have something here?
Let's see.
Do we have a guy that can maybe be our starting quarterback, or do we have to jump into the draft conversation?"
Right.
And I think that's why they drafted Carson Beck right here, to kinda take that, like, "Hey, we're gonna get the team situated first, and you have potential maybe to be something here in Arizona.
Maybe you could be our starter to where we don't have to draft a quarterback next year and can address the rest of the football team."
But Beck has got a smooth, consistent throwing motion.
He's definitely has worked on seeing the field better as compared to what he did in Georgia.
'Cause that was the thing in Georgia, yeah, he had good years, but that one year or his last year there where they struggled, I mean, the ball and the decisions were all over the place.
Now, he's not gonna wow you with great physical ability, right?
It's- The elbow surgery has changed his arm.
It does.
There's, there's no way around it.
Yeah, it definitely has.
And he can make all the throws, but he's not gonna make wow throws.
You're not gonna go, "Oh my gosh, he threw a laser into a tight window down the seam, you know, for a, for a 27-yard gain," right?
It's not gonna be that.
It's in rhythm.
He's got good feet.
He's pretty good to move out of the way.
He looks like he's in better shape already to me with, just the clips I've seen in Arizona.
But yes, so you're gonna see Gardner Minshew's not on this list.
He's not, he's not here.
He's one of the few guys that, yes, you, he was on the outside just looking in because again, I don't think he's really relevant this year.
So I kind of was That was my, my baseline this year.
Are you gonna be in the conversation for playing and being a starter and doing all that?
Yeah.
And no.
You hear my thoughts, and I think that, yes, if we get to week five, six, seven, and they go, "Jacoby Brissett's not playing well.
We're not good," they're gonna turn to Carson Beck.
I would think Minshew's probably more there in case something happened to Brissett before Beck is ready.
Exactly.
That's what I'm saying.
Exactly right.
Like, what if Brissett gets hurt week four?
It's like, we don't wanna throw Carson Beck out there now.
No doubt.
Minshew, you get out there.
Right.
Or maybe Arizona- If Jacoby gets hurt in preseason and you- Yeah now you're like, "Oh gosh, it's week one.
We need a veteran starter."
We don't wanna do that to Carson Beck, and that's where you go with Gardner Minshew.
Minshew's the perfect guy there to be your de facto two, but really your three as the season goes along.
And, yeah, I think you're exactly right there, Connor.
So how bad do you think things have to get for them to turn to him, and can he actually play right now, is the question?
I think it just has to, it has to be It doesn't even I don't think it even dependent on Jacoby Brissett's play really.
That's, that's what I would say.
'Cause you already know what he is.
You know what he is.
Right.
Co- Jacoby Brissett's better than people realize.
Jacoby Brissett's still got a big-time arm.
Like, Jacoby Brissett does make throws where you go, "Holy shit, he threw a laser for a 27-yard ga- gain into a tight window."
He can do that, there's no doubt.
But I think if they get to a point here, let's say they're at the Cowboys and they're two and five going into that football game, somewhere around there, yeah, I would not be shocked to see Carson Beck go in and be the starter there to do the things that we talked about, you know?
So I, it could be Jacoby Brissett's playing really good football and they're two and five, but they're still gonna go, "You know what?
We're two and five.
You know how the league works, Jacoby.
We gotta figure out what this guy is, see what happens there."
And I could see that happening there somewhere around wei- week 8, 10, 10, somewhere in that general vicinity.
GandalfTheGreat69 said, "Think Carson Beck is a better quarterback for Marvin Harrison with his playing style.
More precise throws from Marv rather than Jacoby feeding Michael Wilson."
Yeah.
Well, I know.
It, it definitely Jacoby got a little thing going with Michael Wilson.
Michael Wilson's talented, first off.
Yeah.
Right?
I mean, he, he's more talented than an- people realize.
There's no doubt about that.
But I don't know if I see it that way.
Now, the one thing I'll say that I do think works with Carson and, is that, you know, he can layer the ball, and that's where he's really good.
So you need to get the deep crossers or the guy coming around the end cut, and then it's like, wait, there's a linebacker six or seven yards in front of me.
I need that ball, like, here, like, up here all the time.
I do think that'll match well, with, with Marvin Harrison Jr.
But, you know, Carson Beck, the big thing is, is gonna be I know he'll be able to run an offense.
I know he'll be able to hit the open receiver.
Can he do more than that?
Yeah.
Can he be a starter, right?
His stats are misleading in Miami 'cause of all the screens.
Sure.
I mean, you can watch a You can watch three drives and go, "Holy shit, he threw the ball 12 times, and 10 of them were screens."
Yep.
And everyone go, "Oh, he threw for 78%."
And I wanna go, "Well, you, you should if that's a lot of your throws," right?
But that'll be the big thing, the play making with his arm and his athleticism.
Can he do enough of that to prove to people he deserves to be a starting quarterback one day?
