Instant analysis: Cowboys draft Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe at 73 overall

Instant analysis: Cowboys draft Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe at 73 overall

The Dallas Cowboys traded down in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and benefited from it greatly. Shout out to the Detroit Lions for making this possible.

What is this, you ask? With the 73rd overall pick in the draft the Cowboys took Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe.

Beebe is somebody who has experience playing all five positions along the offensive line but is coming off of playing primarily left guard for the Wildcats. He is an incredibly cerebral player and immediately provides talent along the interior of the offensive line.

Obviously the Cowboys are set in terms of primary guards with Tyler Smith and Zack Martin, but Beebe also has the potential to play center and the Cowboys lost Tyler Biadasz this offseason in free agency.

Beyond losing just the player in Biadasz, the Cowboys lost a leader and a vocal one at that. Beebe was an extremely prominent voice for the Kansas State offensive line and can come in and progress to a leader, especially if he is the one snapping to Dak Prescott on a regular basis.

The great Bob Sturm noted how well-rounded he is.

Most importantly, he sets a physical tone that teams are looking for. He is here for three hours of a battle and is more than anxious to get to the next snap so he can get after his guy again.

He can really pull well and move with very strong feet and drop anchor against bigger guys. His work against the big boys at Texas was not flawless, but it was clear that he was winning plenty.

He has fine awareness and intelligence and picks up switches and blitzes well. I’m really impressed with his play strength and his general football IQ. He really loves punishing players and playing through the whistle.

If you are somebody who wants a player who is going to treat the offensive line like a fight play in and play out, then you have every right to be thrilled about the Beebe selection.

From our own Mike Poland’s scouting report on Beebe:

Cooper Beebe is an extremely high-motor, blue-collar offensive linemen that absolutely fits the bill as a mauler. His size and sturdy base completely shuts off bull rushers and his ability to recognize defensive alignment and dissect the play pre-snap is a huge plus for him.

His issues come with reactions mostly. In the run game, faster defenders are able to avoid Beebe and get around quickly while he tries to react and move himself into position. His foot speed is also slow meaning he can get caught lunging as he tries to engage his hands early and this allows defenders to slip his block. Failing to make contact is a huge coaching correction for him entering the NFL as he cannot recover fast enough or loses his technique the moment he fails.

Overall, Beebe is an extremely versatile lineman with huge value. Grabbing him near the end of the second round is best value, but he immediately competes for a starting role and fans should expect him to be starting on Week 1.

The Dallas Cowboys are beginning a new era along the offensive line and it is an exciting one.