NFL Execs Weigh In on Cardinals' Controversial Picks of Carson Beck, Jeremiyah Love After 2026 Draft

NFL executives and scouts offered some differing opinions on the Arizona Cardinals' selections of Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Miami quarterback Carson Beck in the 2026 NFL draft.

Despite having needs in several areas, the Cards used the No. 3 overall pick on Love. They addressed their quarterback deficiencies later by taking Beck 65th overall in the third round.

Speaking to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, a Cardinals source provided some insight into why the organization liked the idea of taking Beck, saying, "Size. Winner. Natural thrower. Been through some s--t."

After releasing Kyler Murray this offseason, the Cardinals have a pair of journeyman quarterbacks in Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew, and no long-term answer at the position.

The Athletic's Mike Sando gathered thoughts from a couple of anonymous NFL execs regarding the selection of Beck, and both of them expressed their belief that he should get the opportunity to start at some point in 2026.

One of the executives said, "If you play Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew the whole year, you have wasted the pick on Beck. The Beck pick makes sense if he is your starter. It's like, 'We know we suck, we roll the dice and maybe we hit on a QB,' because if you can pick in the top 10 next year and not need a QB, you are in good shape."

The other exec added, "They are trying to give themselves hope and take a swing. Beck looks the part. He can make the throws. He is just going to short-circuit at the worst time. I'd sit him half the year like New Orleans did with (Tyler) Shough and then play him the rest of the way."

Beck, 24, began his collegiate career at Georgia and went 24-3 as a starter before transferring to Miami.

With the Hurricanes he completed 72.4 percent of his passes for 3,813 yards, a career-high 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Beck also led Miami to the National Championship Game, and it suffered a narrow loss at the hands of undefeated Indiana.

Carson Beck highlights

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Only two quarterbacks were taken in the first round of the 2026 draft, and Beck turned out to be the third quarterback off the board. While there is no guarantee that Beck will succeed at the NFL level, the fact that he was only a third-round pick means the Cards could still take a quarterback if they have an early pick last year.

Arizona put a much larger investment into Love, who will undoubtedly be expected to be an instant star for the Cardinals as a rookie.

While it can be argued that Love was the best overall player in the draft, the Cardinals taking him was somewhat unexpected since they already have James Conner, Tyler Allgeier and Trey Benson at running back.

An AFC scout explained to Fowler why they liked and understood the decision, saying, "He's the best player in the draft and the team sucks and needs excitement. I get it. They'll be fine."

The Cardinals' need for a star was a sentiment echoed by an anonymous executive during a discussion with Sando, although they also acknowledged that running back wasn't a major need.

"They're not one piece away, and they put money into Tyler Allgeier—like, I get why people push back on the Love pick," the exec said. "But at the same time, ownership is trying to sell tickets, they don't have a face of the franchise and this guy can fit that bill."

Another executive suggested that there simply wasn't another pick at No. 3 that made a ton of sense for the Cards, saying, "Is the roster ready for a running back? Probably not, but there was no real flashing light to pick other than Love. If the owner wanted the back, like everybody said, that is not a hill you are going to die on as a GM. Love is special."

Love put up big numbers the past two seasons at Notre Dame, and he finished third in the 2025 Heisman Trophy voting by virtue of rushing for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Jeremiyah Love highlights

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While running back was not a top need, the Cardinals did need more dynamic players on offense, and someone who can take pressure off a less-than-ideal quarterback situation.

Also, with Conner coming off a foot injury that cost him most of last season and Benson being unable to stay healthy thus far in his career, running back may not have been as big of a strength for Arizona as many assumed.