Cardinals projected to draft 2-time national champion QB for Mike LaFleur

The Arizona Cardinals are once again a team in transition. 

After a disastrous 2025 season that resulted in a 3-14 record, the team fired head coach Jonathan Gannon and brought in the offensive-minded Mike LaFleur from the Los Angeles Rams. 

With a new offensive system, it's entirely possible the team could want a new quarterback as well. Kyler Murray only played in five games last season, and veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett outperformed Murray for the most part anyway. 

The problem is, this draft class is incredibly thin at quarterback. Indiana superstar Fernando Mendoza is considered a lock to be taken first overall, and there's not even a consensus that another passer will go in the first round. 

As a result, NFL analyst Chad Reuter believes the Cardinals could find their next passer in the third round. Reuter has the team drafting Carson Beck out of Miami with the 65th pick in the 2026 draft. 

Beck is polarizing in the draft community. He's an older prospect, as he'll turn 24 during his rookie season. However, he's a two-time national champion and has a ton of experience against elite talent. 

In 2025, Beck threw for 3,813 yards with 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while leading the Miami Hurricanes to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, 

Beck led the ACC in completion percentage and passer rating, demonstrating his efficiency as a passer. The quarterback threw for over 11,000 yards in his college career and is a similar type of passer to Matthew Stafford, who LaFleur worked with in Los Angeles. 

The good thing about Beck is that he has plenty of experience, so he may not be as big of a project as some other rookies. However, due to his age, Beck also may not have a very high ceiling. 

The quarterback is accurate and has the arm strength to hit deep passes. In Arizona, Beck would have some solid targets like Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. to throw to immediately, 

Of course, it will be interesting to see what the Cardinals do with Murray. The team would have to eat a dead cap hit of over $54 million if they cut him before June 1. The dead cap hit is cut in half is he's traded, but it's doubtful a team would trade for the massive contract. 

The Cardinals could decide to just cut their losses with Murray and eat the dead money while giving a rookie like Beck a chance to shine. 

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