Potential top-10 NFL draft pick Carson Beck fails big test against Alabama

Carson Beck nearly tanked his NFL draft stock with a horrible first half against Alabama. Then he nearly engineered a legendary comeback, but fell short.

Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck (15) is penalized for grounding as he is pressured in the end zone by Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Que Robinson (34) and linebacker Keanu Koht (19) resulting in a safety at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images / Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

The Georgia Bulldogs were beaten by Alabama in an instant-classic Week 5 SEC clash, thanks in large part to an atrocious first-half outing from quarterback Carson Beck. The redshirt senior put together a performance he would like to forget, and it could impact his NFL draft stock.

Beck had a real chance to stake his claim as a top quarterback in the draft with a strong game against Alabama. He hadn't been flashy in Georgia's first three games, but he hadn't made any mistakes, either. And given his 2023 campaign, many already had him penciled in as the presumptive top quarterback in the 2025 draft class.

What transpired Saturday night in Tuscaloosa could change narratives. In the first half, Beck was unsteady, inaccurate, made poor decisions, consistently threw into coverage, and the results speak for themselves. The Crimson Tide were up 30-7 at the half. Most figured the game was already over.

To his credit, Beck and the Bulldogs didn't just lay down and die once the Crimson Tide went up big in the first half. The Georgia offense did come alive in the second half, and Beck threw three touchdowns. Unfortunately, he also turned the ball over four times (three interceptions, one lost fumble), including the game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter, and the Georgia offense was stuck in reverse for too much of the game.

When the dust had settled, Georgia left Bryant-Denny Stadium with a bitter taste of defeat in their mouths, losing 41-34 to the Crimson Tide. Beck finished with 439 yards on 27-of-50 passing, most of those yards coming in the latter stages of the game.

Nobody can say Beck didn't leave it all on the field. He was incredible down the stretch for the most part. Unfortunately, his mistakes doomed the Bulldogs, and they highlighted some of the weaknesses in his game -- lack of zip on deep passes, throws into coverage, poor location.

Beck has time to turn things around, and he didn't embarrass himself Saturday night, despite his mistakes. It won't surprise anyone if a team does pick him up in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft. However, one of the hallmarks of great players is they possess the ability to play their best in the biggest games. Beck failed to do that against Alabama.

Making things even worse, on the other side of the field, his counterpart Jalen Milroe put the NFL draft on notice with a stellar performance.

It's a long road from now until April. Stay tuned!