The Dallas Cowboys' 2023 draft class looks less-than-promising after one season, but it seems they've already redeemed themselves with this year's class. It took first-round pick Tyler Guyton one snap in the NFL to record his first career pancake.
Guyton followed his dazzling debut with a strong outing against the Raiders on Saturday. The Oklahoma product handled All-Pro pass rusher Maxx Crosby and allowed just one pressure on 17 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
While Guyton is already quieting his doubters, another Cowboys rookie is starting to live up to the hype: third-round pick Cooper Beebe.
With more reps, Beebe has started to look more comfortable at center. His snaps are night and day from the start of training camp and his pre-snap communication has improved. He still has a long way to go, but it has finally started to click for the former Kansas State star.
Beebe's tape against the Raiders was a thing of beauty. One of his blocking reps went viral when he manhandled Raiders starting defensive tackle John Jenkins and then threw a blitzing linebacker to the ground all in one sequence.
The Cowboys drafted another OL monster in Cooper Beebe
Blocking highlights don't get better than that. Beebe's physicality and fiery competitive edge were raved about coming out of college. He was underrated as a prospect, but there was zero doubt that his bully attitude would translate to the NFL. He doesn't just want to win his assignment. He aims to overpower and humiliate the opponent, just as he did on that play.
That wasn't Beebe's only highlight, though. On a quick pitch to Malik Davis, Bebe "dirted" another player on a pull block. The play went nowhere, but Beebe was five yards upfield -- where he was supposed to be -- barreling over a hopeless Raiders linebacker (h/t Doug Farrar of Athlon Sports).
Those highlights caught everyone's attention, but Beebe also delivered a textbook combo block to clear a running lane for Deuce Vaughn, who scampered for nine yards. Combo blocks is where Beebe really separates himself from Brock Hoffman in the center competition.
Making his first-ever start at center, Beebe didn't allow a single pressure on 11 pass-blocking snaps and posted a 77.2 blocking grade, per PFF (subscription required). He played just 23 snaps in total and still managed to ground three players.
That isn't the name of the game of the center position, but setting the tone in the trenches is paramount and the Cowboys more often than not lacked that with Tyler Biadasz starting at center the last three seasons.
It's easy to overreact to one preseason game, but it is not an overreaction to say that Beebe should start at center in Week 1. What more does the coaching staff need to see?
