By trading down in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys may have locked up their center of the future. Moving down five spots, the Cowboys added a third-round pick, which they used to draft former Kansas State star Cooper Beebe. According to head coach Mike McCarthy, the team is already preparing the former Wildcat for his move from guard to center as they work toward OTAs next week.
“All these young men have made a great first impression,” McCarthy said after rookie minicamp. “Cooper’s looked very good over the ball. His communication has been excellent. He’s got that sh*t-eating grin that you like to see. It’s definitely not too big for him at all.”
At Kansas State, Beebe earned first-team All-Big 12 Conference honors in 2021. He started all 13 games at left tackle before moving to left guard in 2022. After the move, he earned All-American second-team honors and the Big 12’s Offensive Lineman of the Year award. Beebe has proven his ability to adapt and thrive through transition, but the key to getting him ready to start at center is going to be getting as many live reps in as possible before the real stakes kick in.
“It’s skill development,” McCarthy said. “The shotgun snap, it’s a fine motor skill. It’s something that requires a lot of reps. The biggest thing is getting accustomed to the footwork you’re asked to use. We’ve been going through the same thing with TJ (Bass). He’s looked good so far, I’ve been impressed.”
Beebe describes ‘nasty’ playing style
Following his selection on day two of the draft, Beebe opened up about his mentality and style of play. He described himself as a “pretty nasty guy.”
“I’m a pretty nasty guy,” Beebe said, via Lone Star Live. “I’m a dude that tries to dirt people anytime I can, but I’m also a dude that focuses on technique. I have that mindset where I want to dirt dudes anytime I can, so I kind of have that nasty play style.”
“You talk about Zack Martin, those guys, they’re some of the best to ever do it,” he continued. “They play with that dirty kind of mindset. They’re going to blow people off the ball, and they’re going to do the dirty work, and I’m excited to join that.”
Fellow draftee K.T. Leveston opened up about his belief in Beebe’s ability to slide to center for Dallas after watching him work at it while at Kansas State.
“He was with us for four years and we built that special bond. When I saw Coop going to Dallas, I told him, ‘You’re going to the greatest state in America,’” Leveston said. “We really pride ourselves on being very versatile. He’s played left guard, right guard, right tackle, left tackle, he hasn’t played any live game reps at center but a lot of practice reps. He knew coming back this last year that teams were looking at him and wanting to know if he could snap. He was taking extra reps at center before practice ends.”
