The Arizona Cardinals are attempting to heat up their offense.
Arizona used its first three draft selections on offensive players – running back Jeremiyah Love (No. 3 overall), guard Chase Bisontis (No. 34 overall in the second round) and quarterback Carson Beck (No. 65 overall in the third round).
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Love was arguably the best player in the draft. The versatile running back is the type of weapon the Cardinals offense is in desperate need of. Yet Beck is the most intriguing. Beck became the third quarterback selected in the draft one of four overall through three rounds – and he wound up at a destination void of a franchise quarterback.
He joins a quarterback room with Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew II and Kedon Slovis after the Cardinals parted ways with Kyler Murray. It’s a mediocre – at best – group of QBs that Beck is now united with. Brissett was the leading candidate to start coming out of the NFL’s owners meeting, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on April 17 that Brissett is disgruntled about his current contract and opted not to attend phase one of Arizona’s offseason program. Then there was the nugget general manager Monti Ossenfort dropped to reporters last week when he said the Cardinals “were not really naming anybody” as starting QB.
Insert Beck as the third-round pick.
Will Carson Beck start for the Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are still not naming a starting quarterback in late April, but now there is at least an intriguing competitor in what was a dull QB battle.
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“What is that opportunity gonna really present for him down in Arizona? What is he gonna do to step up and see if he can put some pressure on this organization to maybe, maybe wind up going ahead and crack into the starting lineup in his rookie season,” NFL analyst Louis Riddick said Friday night on ESPN.
Beck brings a wealth of college experience with him to Arizona. The former super senior registered 43 starts during five years at Georgia and one season at Miami. His completion total (338) and completion percentage (72.4) ranked within the top five in the FBS last year. He passed for 11,725 yards and 88 touchdowns in his college career.
“Experience matters and obviously having a ton of experience in college and having played a ton of games, you see how experience continues to teach you and continues to better you,” Beck said to reporters Friday, per the Cardinals official website. “Obviously just coming in with an open heart, open mind, and just trying to be a sponge and learn everything I can.”
Beck might not win the Cardinals starting job outright immediately. Brissett and Minshew could even be the most game-ready options come Week 1. But it’ll behoove the Cardinals to give Beck legitimate starting reps at some point during the season in order to properly evaluate him against NFL competition.
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Ossenfort and new head coach Mike LaFleur should get a thorough examination of Beck before what many consider a QB-rich 2027 NFL Draft class that presumably will feature Dante Moore, Arch Manning and LaNorris Sellers.
A third-round pick isn’t a huge investment. The Cardinals decision to select Beck No. 65 overall shouldn’t preclude them from selecting a QB in next year’s draft if Beck doesn’t impress in Year 1. But the Cardinals must give the experienced 23-year-old rookie a chance to play first.
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen in the future,” Beck said to reporters. “Just put my best foot forward each and every day.”
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carson Beck should get chance to start for Cardinals: Here’s why
