FRISCO — The Cowboys may have found a new starting center.
Dallas selected former Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe in the third round, 73rd overall, in Friday night's draft. Due to his short arms, he will be placed at center, competing with Brock Hoffman and TJ Bass for the starting spot.
Center Tyler Biadasz, a starter the past four seasons, signed with the Washington Commanders last month.
Beebe was considered an extremely intelligent and athletic player, and was named to the All-American team in 2023. He became the second offensive lineman selected in the Cowboys' first three picks, joining former Oklahoma left tackle Tyler Guyton in the first round. Beebe measured 6-3, 322 pounds, and 31 1/2-inch arms at the NFL Combine.
“I think I’m a pretty asshole,” Beebe said on a conference call with Cowboys reporters Friday night. “I'm a guy who tries to get people dirty whenever I can. But I'm also a guy who only cares about technique.
A four-year starter in college, Beebe was named the Big 12 Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year in both 2022 and 2023. He will reunite with former Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn in Dallas and compete for a roster spot with a 2023 sixth-round pick. This summer spot.
Beebe trained locally for the NFL Combine.
He worked with offensive line instructor Duke Manyweather. His OL Mastermind program is run at a sports academy across the street from the Cowboys' home base at The Star. Manyweather shared a scouting report on Beebe in the NFL and transitioning to the center position.
“Physical!!!” Manyweather said in a text message. “He moves better than people give him credit for. I think he showed that at the combine. He has a very high soccer IQ. He becomes a leader and holds people accountable. …We've been working on getting him to play center, and he's really naturally good at that, being able to snap and pull, snap and reach. I like that he has incredible play ability.”
Beebe ran the 40-yard dash in 5.03 seconds at the combine.
He bench-pressed 225 pounds 20 times, a surprisingly low number considering his physical style of play and short arm length.
“It was just a bad day on the bench,” Beebe said. “I was pretty tired from the day before. … I don't think that has any correlation to my play on the field.”
