Carson Beck and Drew Allar make it 4 quarterbacks selected in the first 3 rounds of the NFL draft

Miami quarterback Carson Beck (04) runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Once considered a potential top pick, Carson Beck ended up becoming the first player selected in the third round of the NFL draft.

The Arizona Cardinals took the polarizing Miami quarterback with the 65th overall pick on Friday night. He’ll join a quarterback room that includes veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew and play for rookie coach Mike LaFleur.

“I’m super excited, super grateful, super blessed,” said Beck, who spent five seasons at Georgia before transferring to Miami. “I took a visit out there and loved the staff, loved Coach LaFleur.”

Beck was only the third QB selected in a draft that’s considered thin at the sport’s most important position. Fernando Mendoza went No. 1 to Las Vegas and Ty Simpson was selected 13th by the Los Angeles Rams.

No quarterbacks were picked in a second round that saw 22 defensive players taken.

Drew Allar became the fourth quarterback selected when the Pittsburgh Steelers took him at No. 76. He doesn’t have to leave the state after an injury-riddled college career at Penn State.

Pittsburgh set an NFL record with 320,000 fans in attendance on the first day Thursday night, breaking the mark set by Detroit in 2024 when a crowd of 275,000 came out.

The selection of Allar drew a mixed reaction from Steelers fans watching the draft at Acrisure Stadium. Allar is returning from a broken ankle that ended his college career last October.

The hometown faithful waving yellow Terrible Towels in the draft theater roared in approval when Pittsburgh chose Iowa guard Gennings Dunker later in the third round. Dunker, who sports a red mullet and a mustache, became a fan favorite at the combine where he displayed his athleticism.

Defense was the priority in the second round. Twenty-two of the 32 picks were defensive players and the Philadelphia Eagles acquired 2024 Pro Bowl edge rusher Jonathan Greenard from Minnesota.

Eight teams made their first selections of the draft on Friday night after sitting out Round 1, with the 49ers kicking off the second day by taking Mississippi wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling. San Francisco traded down twice to end up with the 33rd pick.

The eight teams that didn’t pick Thursday was the second-most teams sitting out Round 1 since 1970. Ten teams didn’t pick in the first round in 2022.

The Bills, who traded back three times, ended up with an edge rusher, choosing Clemson’s T.J. Parker at No. 35.

Two players who came to Pittsburgh but didn’t hear their names called Thursday went back-to-back at 36 and 37 on Friday. Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald was selected by Houston and Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood went next to the New York Giants.

“Of course it was disappointing,” said Hood, who was back home in Atlanta for Round 2. “I know God does everything for a reason. He was probably preventing me from something or he had something better in store for me, and that being the Giants. I’m super excited to go into this next chapter of my life and will just go in there and give my best and give my all and be the best version of myself.”

The Bengals strengthened their defense with their first pick of the draft, taking Texas A&M edge Cashius Howell at No. 41. Atlanta’s first pick was Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell with the 48th pick. Green Bay also chose a cornerback with its first pick, taking South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse 52nd.

The Colts got Georgia linebacker CJ Allen at No. 53 after trading their first-rounder in a deal for Sauce Gardner last season.

Jacksonville’s first pick was Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher.

The Broncos had to wait until the third round to make their first pick after trading No. 62 to Buffalo. Denver, which previously sent Miami its first-rounder in a trade for wideout Jaylen Waddle, took Texas A&M defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim at No. 66.

After losing Makai Lemon to the Eagles on Thursday night, the Steelers got their wide receiver, taking Alabama’s Germie Bernard 47th.

The Super Bowl champion Seahawks closed out the second round by adding Texas Christian safety Bud Clark at No. 64.

Just 16 of the 32 first-round picks were made by the original teams that owned them.

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Rob Maaddi, The Associated Press