Carson Beck’s NFL Draft status check-in: Is Georgia QB still a first-rounder?

Ask anyone in NFL Draft circles and they’ll be quick to tell you that this year’s class of quarterbacks is underwhelming compared to last year’s. Last year’s class produced five top-10 NFL Draft picks, including the first three picks. A sixth quarterback, Bo Nix, was No. 12.

Coming into the season, many in those circles and in college football thought Georgia quarterback Carson Beck would be a first-rounder. But now most people are asking each other, “What happened to him?”

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This was told by an NFL scout who has spent two decades in the industry Athletics On Sunday, the day after Beck’s Bulldogs lost at Ole Miss, 28-10, the star quarterback had been his and his NFL team’s top-rated QB entering this season. The longtime scout, like others who were granted anonymity to speak candidly about Beck’s draft trajectory, said he believed that if Beck had entered the 2024 draft, he could have been a late first-round pick.

“Had he come out last year, he was on such a good trajectory,” the scout said. “I thought he and Jayden Daniels were the two most improved guys. There was a chance he would sneak into the late first round last year.”

Beck and the Bulldogs opened the season strong, blowing out then-No. 14 Clemson, 34-3, but when SEC play began, Beck began to struggle; in particular, he has had all sorts of problems turning the ball over. In seven SEC games, Beck has thrown 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Last year, in his first season as a starter, he threw 15 touchdowns and just four picks.

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The scout said Beck was no longer their top QB prospect. And Athletics NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler believes that if the draft took place tomorrow, Beck would be a third- to fifth-rounder and no lock for a top-100 selection.

“He’s got the quickest release of all these guys,” the NFL scout said. “For me, Shedeur (Sanders) has had the least rough spots. He’s probably been the cleanest.

“When you watch (Georgia’s) tape, their offensive line has struggled,” he added. “Some of those guys have gotten confused. They’re more leaky than last year. I think that shows his (lack of) mobility and we’ve seen him get cranky. There’s a definite lack of poise. First half against Alabama was really bad (Beck threw two of his three interceptions).

“He’s struggling now. He was our No. 1 guy coming into the year. But now, the combination of the lack of mobility and the lack of balance … You’ve got to have one or the other. If you stuck in the pocket and can’t really get out of there that well, you better be able to hang in there and be tough and be comfortable throwing with people hitting you.”

Another piece of the puzzle that scouts try to solve beyond the film is how players deal with personal issues. With the onset of name, image and likeness (NIL) in college sports, pro staffs have been trying to dig into how it has affected the players. Last winter, Beck made headlines after posting pictures on Instagram of him getting a Lamborghini Urus Performante. It’s also something people in the NFL world have noticed.

“I would dig into the NIL stuff and how seriously he’s approached football and eliminated the distractions and been focused on what he should be focused on,” the veteran scout said.

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Another NFL scout said Beck’s struggles this year are a reminder of how much all the pieces around a quarterback can affect performance: “I still think he’s talented, but he looks rattled now.”

An SEC defensive coach who played Beck for the past month pointed to both the Bulldogs’ struggles up front and the team’s “major deficiencies” at receiver.

It certainly hasn’t helped Beck that he no longer trusts elite playmakers, such as tight end Brock Bowers (drafted No. 13 overall in 2024) or wideout Ladd McConkey (No. 34 overall). But those are just a few reasons why Beck doesn’t look like the same quarterback.

“It seems like Beck is forcing things instead of letting the game come to him,” the SEC coach said. “He throws into coverage a lot. They (Georgia) have really good running backs, as they always do, but they just don’t have home-run hitters on the outside.

“They’re not what they used to be. He (Beck) doesn’t have the guys that can win and make plays. It could also be because he’s been hit and fired, so he’s starting to see the rush a little bit more. When we played him, you could tell he was worried about the rush. We saw that on film.”

Another SEC coach, a defensive coordinator who also played against Georgia last month, echoed those comments, as did another SEC DC who played against Georgia this season.

“I think he’s still done a lot of good things,” said the first DC. “He’s got a really good arm and he’s accurate. I think he sees the picture well. I just think he’s pushing. He’s trying to make some throws, trying to stick them into really tight windows. He shouldn’t be doing that , but he is. I think he’s feeling the pressure. Their receivers aren’t getting as much separation, but he’s just making some bad decisions.”

It is also worth noting that the Bulldogs has played one of the toughest schedules in the country so far, according to both Athletics Austin Mock and per ESPN FPI, as cited by the College Football Playoff Committee. The has faced four of the nation’s top 13 defenses this season (No. 1 Texas, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 12 Alabama and No. 13 Auburn) and will play No. 3 defense this Saturday when Tennessee visits.

Brugler notes that Beck will have plenty of high-leverage opportunities on the horizon to change his narrative and prove to scouting circles that he’s the No. 1 guy many thought he was last season.

(Top photo: Justin Ford/Getty)