In his first season leading the Georgia Bulldogs, quarterback Carson Beck has been key to keeping the team’s 24-game win streak alive. Entering Georgia’s showdown with Florida, Beck has thrown for 2,147 yards and 12 touchdowns with only four interceptions, while also rushing for 50 yards and three scores.
With his play drawing so much attention, we answer whether Beck is draft-eligible. Can he declare for the 2024 NFL Draft and join the ranks of the professional quarterbacks?
When Carson Beck Can Declare for the NFL Draft
Beck will be draft-eligible at the end of this season, meaning he can declare for the 2024 NFL Draft. According to the NFL Draft eligibility rules, “players must have been out of high school for at least three years and must have used up their college eligibility before the start of the next college football season” to become eligible for the draft.
Beck meets these criteria, as he graduated from high school in 2019 and redshirted his freshman year at Georgia. He has played in two seasons for the Bulldogs and has one more year of eligibility remaining. He can forego his senior season and enter the 2024 NFL Draft or return to Georgia for another year of college football.
With a limited number of snaps entering 2023, Beck had much to prove. He was named the starter for the Bulldogs only two weeks before the season opener, but with a highly touted recruit behind him and another one coming next year, Beck could feel that declaring is better than transferring. Of course, he could still win the job next year.
Through eight games, Beck has earned a late-round grade from our evaluators. He has good physical tools and cares for the ball well enough to develop into an NFL backup. Another year of growth at the collegiate level could absolutely take his game to a new level.
Below is our scouting report of Beck from earlier in the season. If he does declare for the 2024 NFL Draft, we’ll dive deeper into Beck’s tape and provide a more comprehensive breakdown of his play and NFL projection.
Beck’s Scouting Report
Strengths
- Sequencing when comfortable is beautiful. Eyes, shoulders, and feet remain connected.
- Strong torque generation creates velocity.
- Flashes heady pocket presence and ability to make adjustments to create throwing hallways.
- Comfortable in the pocket vs. pressure despite a lack of reps.
- Swings head around well on under-center play-action.
- Great ball placement on deeper passes.
- Beck is completely unbothered by the rush.
- Surprising spring in his step when on the move.
- Throws well rolling to left and right.
- Can spin it with plus velocity that reaches all levels of the field.
Weaknesses
- An extra pat on the ball slows down release sometimes (other times not an issue).
- Sneaky athletic but not someone who will run often at the next level.
- Pre-snap recognition isn’t at a super high level (due to inexperience).
- Was only seen late in decided games until this season.
- Overall experience is limited. NFL evaluators like QBs who have started at least two years.
