Cardinals take their QB swing on Carson Beck… Will it pay off?

TEMPE — Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort didn’t feel obligated to take a quarterback prospect entering the 2026 NFL Draft, he said Friday.

Yet when the third round rolled around, it was the Cardinals taking a chance on Miami’s Carson Beck.

Just like that, the Cardinals quarterbacks room got much more interesting.

Landing a rookie signal-caller after saying “so long” to former franchise quarterback Kyler Murray seemed like a move to make this draft, regardless of what the 2027 quarterback class expectations are.

Take a flier and see what happens. The San Francisco 49ers did that in a major way by taking Brock Purdy with the last pick in the 2022 draft.

There is no shame in that. And as Mike LaFleur said Friday, Beck looks the part for what the first-year head coach wants out of his quarterback.

“He’s a big, solid dude. … He looks the part,” LaFleur said Friday. “Natural thrower, he’s tough. I think one of the coolest things about him, especially spending some time with him, he’s been through those big games, but he’s been through some adversity, too. That’s well documented. It’s out there. I think he’s gotten better from it.”

Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur on what stands out about QB Carson Beck:

"He's a big, solid dude. … He looks the part. Natural thrower, he's tough. … He's been through those big games, but he's been through some adversity, too." pic.twitter.com/nO2TpXpF4N

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) April 25, 2026

But taking a swing at No. 65 overall? That just seems too rich given where this roster currently stands.

Opting for guard Chase Bisontis in the second round was easily the right move to make for the front office. He presents a legit option at guard and is an athletic freak who loves mauling.

He not only provides a boost in the OL room but also alleviates some of the concern about Arizona drafting running back Jeremiyah Love in the first round despite question marks in the trenches. Do the Cardinals still need reinforcements along the O-line? Absolutely, but it’s a move in the right direction.

Coming back around in the third round and drafting a pass rusher or defensive lineman seemed like the next most logical move. It wasn’t like there weren’t options, either.

Defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim, who met with the Cardinals on a top 30 visit, and edge Romello Height went soon after Beck’s name was called. Instead, Onyedim ends up in Denver and Height in San Francisco.

Going that route could have given Arizona at the very least another rotational option defensively after being one of the worst units in the league last year under Nick Rallis. It’s not like the Cardinals haven’t hit on non-quarterbacks in the third round, too. Cornerback Garrett Williams and wide receiver Michael Wilson mark two wins for the franchise in recent memory.

For Beck, what exactly does his 2026 entail?

Starting Week 1 — even with all the talk about looking the part — seems like a pipe dream at this point.

Even with veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett’s ask to be paid as the Cardinals’ starter and his absence from Arizona’s voluntary offseason program, he’s still the leading starting candidate in the locker room.

Not Gardner Minshew, not Beck.

Now, things can happen between Day 2 of the NFL Draft and the start of the regular season.

Maybe Brissett’s contract dispute leads to a parting of ways in some shape or form and forces Beck up the depth chart. Maybe Brissett and the Cardinals come to an agreement and move forward as if nothing happened.

My money (currently) is on the latter.

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Cardinals draft Miami QB Carson Beck at No. 65Carson Beck to Cardinals: Reactions pour in with Hurricanes QB heading to desertCardinals draft Texas A&M OG Chase Bisontis at No. 34 overallCardinals' Jeremiyah Love prides himself on the dirty workCardinals sign TE Shane Bowman, LB Eugene AsanteCardinals place S Joey Blount, TE Kenny Yeboah on IR