Pros and cons of the Dallas Cowboys picking Kansas State's Cooper Beebe in 2024 NFL Draft
Kansas State offensive lineman Cooper Beebe is officially an NFL rookie after being picked by the Dallas Cowboys with the No. 73 overall pick Friday in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Beebe, a consensus All-America guard, was projected to go as high as the second round, but there was not a big run early on interior offensive linemen. In going to the Cowboys, Beebe will be reunited with former Wildcat All-American Deuce Vaughn, who was selected Dallas in last year's draft.
Beebe is the first K-State offensive lineman selected since Dalton Risner went to the Denver Broncos with the No. 41 overall pick in the second round of the 2019 draft.
Here's what Beebe brings to the Cowboys, based on his career with Kansas State:
What Cooper Beebe brings to the Dallas Cowboys in the 2024 NFL Draft
There was not a more reliable or versatile guard in college football over the past couple of years than Beebe, a consensus first team All-American as a senior, a three-time Big 12 all-conference selection at two different positions, and the league's offensive lineman of the year in 2022 and '23.
Beebe, a four-year starter, was an all-conference left tackle as a sophomore in 2021, then moved to left guard for the past two seasons. He also took snaps in 2023 at both left and right tackle, and at right guard in 2021.
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Cooper Beebe's highlights, strengths, weaknesses at Kansas State football
Beebe's most memorable play came late in the first half last season against Houston, when he destroyed a Cougar defender, putting him on his back as running back DJ Giddens to walk into the end zone. He delivered a similar pancake block against North Carolina State in the final minute of the Pop-Tarts Bowl, which allowed quarterback Avery Johnson to pick up the game-clinching first down.
The 6-foot-3, 322-pound Beebe is a punishing run blocker and an accomplished interior pass protector, according to scouting reports. He is considered a potential starter from day one at guard, thought his ability to play other positions would make him a valuable reserve as well.
The biggest concern among scouts is his short arms, which may make it difficult for him to sustain blocks, and there is some question about his athleticism, though he performed well in speed and agility drills at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Cooper Beebe's stats with Kansas State football
Beebe played in 51 games during his career with 48 starts. He allowed only five sacks in 1,488 career pass blocking snaps, with four of them coming in his redshirt freshman year in 2020. He allowed just one sack over his last 42 games.
Cooper Beebe player comparison NFL
Beebe has been compared to veteran guard Kevin Zeitler, a 12-year NFL starter who recently signed with the Detroit Lions. He spent the last three years with the Baltimore Ravens and was a Prow Bowl selection for the first time this past season. Zeitler was a late first-round draft pick out of Wisconsin in the 2012 draft.
Another comparison for Beebe is Arizona Cardinals guard Will Hernandez, a six-year pro and second-round draft pick out of UTEP in the 2018 draft.
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: The Dallas Cowboys pick Kansas State's Cooper Beebe in 2024 NFL Draft
