Why Cardinals drafted QB Carson Beck, and how he fits into depth chart after Kyler Murary leaves originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Arizona Cardinals decided not to wait any longer.

Their QB depth chart clearly has some needs, and so at the start of Friday night's third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, they took Miami quarterback Carson Beck.

It was the 65th overall pick, higher than Beck will rank in a raw number on any draft board.

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The Cardinals decided they needed to get out of that contract for 2026 and beyond, and so they cut him loose.

Beck will be their first attempt at a QB of the future, although he's not a guarantee to be a success.

The Cardinals were linked to Alabama's Ty Simpson, but when the Rams shocked the draft and took Simpson No. 13 overall, that pushed Arizona into the next range of QBs, and they went with Beck.

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This is a lot like the New York Giants in 2025, who had Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Jaxson Dart.

Beck may not take over quite as soon as Dart did, but it'd be logical to expect him to play ample snaps at some point in 2026 as the Cardinals try to see what they have.

Depending on how he looks will likely determine whether the Cardinals draft a QB in the first round of 2027.

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