Former NFL Scout Gives Carson Beck Benefit of the Doubt

The word that I would use to describe Georgia quarterback (QB) Carson Beck in 2024:

Distracted

That’s what makes this a difficult evaluation. Beck flashes elite ability, but then he stops doing it. For example, sometimes he goes through his progressions and throws to a spot with elite anticipation ⎯and sometimes he doesn’t.

Then there are the ball placement issues ⎯his ball placement was ALL OVER THE ROAD. Sure, his receivers didn’t help him, which I took into account, but let’s be real. While he threw his fair share of bullseyes, he also threw many that came in high, low, behind, or too far out in front of his intended target.

Short passes weren’t even a given.

I love the fact Beck continued to aggressively attack the deep route level (+20 yards). The problem was his accuracy. I charted 17 out of 49 completions (34.7%).

Yikes.

Beck threw 12 INTERCEPTIONS and had an additional 40 DEFENDED PASSES I charted in these 13 games (3.08 avg.).

What’s driving Beck to do all this?

• Up and down confidence level
• Faulty internal clock
• Erratic throwing mechanics
• Crumbling under pressure

What are Beck’s best traits?

Beck flashes a high-level ability to move and hold defenders with his eyes and body movements, which opens up throwing lanes.

It’s also in him to stare in one direction, before changing his mind in a split second and then throwing in another direction, which opens things up.

He has some of the best eye control and ability to manipulate defenders with his eyes I’ve ever seen ⎯it’s like he’s a magician when he’s in that mode.

Serious injury to his throwing arm

Regression leading up to the draft is not a good thing. Add in a UCL injury to his throwing arm suffered on Dec. 7 in the first half of the SEC Championship Game (Sporting News). Really not good.

“Sources close to Beck and Georgia tell A to Z Sports that while Carson Beck’s UCL is “intact” it is also separated from the bone which will almost certainly require some kind of surgery.”

According to UGA Sports, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said, “Brock Purdy (49ers QB) had a similar injury.

That SEC Championship Game

Heading into this game, I had Beck in the third round. However, in the first half against Texas, it felt like he working his way out of the funk he had been in for weeks ⎯he looked more like the 2023 version who ranked as my pre-season QB1 in this draft class.

Then, what he did at the end sealed it for me ⎯coming back in to win it with one arm.

This moment told me a lot.

#15 Carson Beck 6-foot-4, 220 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Final NFL Draft Grade: Second-Round (I would select him providing he passes pre-draft medicals)

M (MEDICAL RISK)

Projected by 45.1% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of January 9, 2025 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

Carson Beck = Potential NFL Franchise QB (14 games evaluated in 2023)

2024 game film evaluated: Clemson, Tennessee Tech, Kentucky, Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, Texas, Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee, UMASS, Georgia Tech, and Texas (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2024 stats: 290/448 (64.7%) for 3,485 yards, 28 TD, 12 INT, and 18 sacks

FOX Sports: Beck expected to start throwing this Spring

Best fit: Giants and Rams

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Lanky prospect with good athleticism and a high-level skill set. Commanding presence. Leads with an erratic sense of timing. Tough. Resilient. Wears his heart on his sleeve. Can get down on himself. High football IQ. Capable of fast processing pre and post-snap. Deliberate and decisive at times. Quick reflexes. Excellent ball-handling skills. Moves around well, but tends to drop his eyes under pressure. Eats sacks. Can gain chunks of yardage running. Finishes his runs awkwardly. Depends too much on upper body when throwing. Torques hips. Attempts to aim and steer the ball. Inconsistent release times. Inconsistent throwing when he hits his back foot. Sometimes presses and hurries throws. Feast or famine quarterback. Short-term memory with mistakes. Gets tunnel-visioned. Spreads the ball around. Holds for field goals.

Final words

Purdy returned from this injury with the No. 1 NFL QBR the following season.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.