Carson Beck Eyed as Replacement for $230 Million QB in NFL Draft

Miami quarterback Carson Beck’s rise and fall in NFL draft projections has been a wild ride. Heading into the 2024 college football season, Beck was tabbed as a top candidate to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Beck’s final season at Georgia did not go as planned, headlined by 12 interceptions and a season-ending shoulder injury. The quarterback had a late change of heart on the NFL draft and entered the transfer portal instead before landing at Miami.

Ahead of the College Football Playoff semifinals, Beck is one win away from playing for a national championship and his stock appears to once again be rising up draft boards.

Beck is no longer viewed as a likely candidate to be a top-10 pick, but ESPN’s Matt Miller projects the quarterback as a likely second-round selection in the 2026 NFL draft. All this comes as the Cleveland Browns have no shortage of quarterbacks on the roster.

Yet, Cleveland has yet to find a permanent replacement for Deshaun Watson despite drafting both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in 2025. Could Beck be a potential fit for the Browns?

Here’s what you need to know about Beck’s NFL draft stock.

Carson Beck’s NFL Draft Projections: Miami QB Listed as Potential Replacement for Browns Star Deshaun Watson

Pro Football Sports Network’s Trevor Ritchie outlined several potential NFL landing spots for Beck. The analyst listed the Browns as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams as top fits for Beck.

“The Browns continue looking to solidify a long-term building block at quarterback, even after drafting both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in 2025,” Ritchie detailed in a January 8, story titled, “Carson Beck NFL Draft Projections: 5 Potential Landing Spots for Miami QB.” “With five picks in the third through fifth rounds, the same range in which Cleveland selected Gabriel and Sanders, history could very well repeat itself for the Dawg Pound.

“… The Browns’ No. 28 and No. 39 picks could also be too late for QB3, but a major reach for QB4 at the same time. If they take another swing at a signal-caller in the 2026 draft, rounds three through five might once again be the value sweet spot with one of their 10 total picks.”

Miami QB Carson Beck Is Predicted To Be a 2nd-Round Pick in the 2026 NFL Draft

It is hard to imagine Watson’s tenure going much worse in Cleveland after the franchise gave up a king’s ransom in a trade with the Houston Texans for the star quarterback. It did not help that the Browns signed Watson to a fully-guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract that is slated to go through the 2026 season.

Even if the Browns take Beck with a mid-round pick, the path appears to be open for a legit quarterback competition in 2026. Miller outlined why Beck’s draft stock could push him as high as the second round.

“Miami convinced Beck to withdraw from the 2025 draft and transfer from Georgia, and he threw for 3,072 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions,” Miller wrote in a December 17, story titled, “2026 NFL draft tiers for every College Football Playoff team.”

“Beck is at his best when he’s in a clean pocket where he can pick apart defenses, but he struggles when things get muddy. Teams with a strong play-action attack and good run game could like him on Day 2.”

Jonathan Adams is a veteran sports contributor covering the NFL, NBA and golf for Heavy.com. His work has been prominently featured on NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated. More about Jonathan Adams