Carson Beck's Path to becoming the No. 1 overall pick

A year ago, everyone knew Caleb Williams was set to be the No. 1 overall selection in the NFL Draft. Likewise, Trevor Lawrence, Jadeveon Clowney, and Andrew Luck were fixtures atop every mock draft a year prior to their entrance.

Nobody, however, would have put Travon Walker, Joe Burrow, or Eric Fisher at No. 1 overall at this point in their careers. Cam Newton was the heavy favorite for the starting job at Auburn, but he had not been named as such, and everyone assumed Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray would be too short.

Entering the 2024 college football season, there is no consensus top selection, but Draft Nation will be doing a brief rundown of some of the leading contenders, starting with Georgia Quarterback Carson Beck.

Beck committed to Georgia in March of 2019 and enrolled early in January of 2020. Out of Jacksonville, FL, Beck was a consensus low four star – with none of the sites ranking him higher than No. 234 overall in the class. CJ Stroud has proven to be the headliner of the otherwise lackluster group, but Beck’s career seems poised to be on track as the second best – despite only one year as a starting QB.

Beck won two national championships as a back-up for Stetson Bennett, and he took over the starting job last season. His only loss came in the SEC Championship to Alabama. That season, he threw for 300+ yards five times and only threw six interceptions at the helm of the Bulldogs’ loaded offense. His most notable performance was arguably against rival Auburn, the team’s closest game of the season outside of their loss to Alabama. In his first road game as a starter – in one of college football’s more hostile crowds – he led his team to a come-behind victory with 313 yards passing, 157 of which were to All-American tight end Brock Bowers.

The word you’ll hear a lot with Beck is “prototypical.” He’s got the size, the arm strength, and the accuracy you want in a quarterback. While he’s not an elite athlete, he’s not immobile either – rushing for four touchdowns and maneuvering well in the pocket. He lacks the elite traits of, say, Josh Allen or Trevor Lawrence, but he would compare favorably to Ryan Tannehill or Jared Goff. Fellow Bulldog Matthew Stafford – who’s had quite a career – is probably a good ceiling.

For Beck, there aren’t many glaring weaknesses to his game. What he will need to show is that he can carry a team and put together a string of elite performances worthy of being No. 1 overall. The primary knock on him will be that he’s played for a program with elite talent around him. While top notch blocking returns, Beck will have to prove that he can be dominant even without Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey to throw to. The biggest challenge, however, comes with the “bright light” games on the road against Clemson (8/31), Alabama (9/28), Texas (10/19), and a loaded Ole Miss (11/9). Nobody faces a more daunting road schedule than the Dawgs, and, if Beck can lead the team to victories with strong performances, he’s the frontrunner for a Heisman, a Championship, and a No. 1 overall selection.