Want to know what you’re getting in Cooper Beebe? Drew has the road grader with the feet of a ballerina covered.
Note:
If you’re reading this, you’re either a K-State fan, one of my relatives, or your team drafted Ben Sinnott. I’m gearing this profile towards folks looking for info on Sinnott because we already know him and let’s face it, my relatives are mainly in it for the pictures. Keep in mind, this is a Kansas State blog. I’m going to give you the best case scenario.
*All measurements and testing numbers are from the NFL Combine.
Cooper Beebe
Cooper Beebe is a OG prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 9.28 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 111 out of 1523 OG from 1987 to 2024.https://t.co/rdyWAhG3W9 pic.twitter.com/nbCAVayFdv
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 30, 2024
*If you like the NFL Draft, the above account is amazing.
Size Evaluation
Cooper is built like a keg. He’s a little on the short side (although I’m 6’3” and people have called me “tall” my entire life), and at 322 pounds, he’s basically a cylinder with appendages. When he decides he doesn’t want to move, it’s going to take more than one guy to move him, and when he wants to move forward, he’s going to move forward.
Everyone wants offensive linemen that could double as power forwards in basketball. Beebe doesn’t fit that mold. He doesn’t have the wingspan of Wemby, hands like Shaq, which could limit him to guard in the NFL. He held up fine in the Big 12 on the edge and could play there in a pinch in the pros, but you’re not going to look at him and say, “Yeah, that dude’s a tackle.” Then again, plenty of Big 12 edge rushers thought that and ended up staring at the sky, wondering why they ever played football in the first place.
I was a little surprised by the bench press numbers. Short(ish) arms and a barrel chest is the perfect setup for huge bench numbers, but 20 reps had to disappoint Beebe. Nothing about his film indicates a lack of strength. Not sure what to make of it really. Maybe just a bad day (sometimes I write things like “20 reps (at 225) had to disappoint,” and the words only make sense in this exact context; otherwise, that’s top 0.1% in the world)?
Athletic Testing Evaluation
Cooper doesn’t look like an athlete. He looks like a dude that spends his day pitching hay bales.
Rest assured, Cooper is a freak athlete.
The man ran a 5.08 40 at 322 pounds. That’s nightmare fuel. Not only is he two people wide, he can run you down from behind. If Cooper is chasing you in the wild, climbing a tree and hoping the limbs can’t hold his weight is your only option, but I figure he’d just end up shaking you out of the tree. I can’t imagine a scenario where a nice guy like Cooper would be chasing you through the woods, but it’s my job to paint a picture, and he’s the human equivalent of a black bear.
Not only is he straight-line fast, he’s also agile. That’s what allowed him to start at both right and left tackle despite not having the ideal length. He gets on the edge, and defenders can’t work around his quick feet and massive frame. The NFL loves metrics, and for good reason. Players tend to follow trends, and the trend right now is that short-armed players don’t play tackle. I think Beebe, at least as an option off the bench, can play tackle in the NFL. It might not be an everyday thing, but in a sport where roster flexibility is crucial, having a guard not only capable but experienced at kicking out to tackle, is a huge selling point. Draft Beebe, and you could end up with RG1 and RT3 and LT4 all in one massive package.
Skill Set
I’ve touched on this a few times already, but he can play anywhere on the line, or at least he did at Kansas State.
Cooper Beebe tested as a fantastic athlete (9.27 RAS) and graded out incredibly well by @PFF.
But I LOVE how he played multiple spots.
LG: 1,887 snaps
LT: 795 snaps
RT: 488 snaps
RG: 25 snaps— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) March 18, 2024
Whatever the team needed, Cooper provided and provided it at an elite level. He’s a mauler on the interior, but his ability to pull around and bury defenders is next level. He can play in a zone-blocking scheme, but for my money, he’s at his best pulling around and eliminating multiple defenders.
I don’t think Beebe gets enough credit for how well he moves and how quickly he can adapt to a new position. Some linemen have trouble with their pass sets when they swap sides. I’ve seen Beebe switch between left guard and right tackle, multiple times, on the same drive. The body awareness required is amazing. It’s the offensive line equivalent of being able to shoot with either hand in basketball.
He’s truly a balanced lineman, able to pass and run block, despite the fact that he looks like a pure road grader. Again, don’t let his looks fool you; the dude is an elite athlete who knows how to move his mass with stunning efficiency, not just forwards and backwards, but also side to side. Watching him stalk a linebacker or safety as he comes around the edge looking to deliver a run-springing block is football nirvana if you’re cheering for his team and a scene from Eli Roth’s first Hostel movie if you’re friends or family with the guy about to get destroyed. I’ve written more words about football than I care to acknowledge, but the only time I’ve ever stood up during a game in anticipation of a guard destroying a linebacker is watching Beebe at the end of the NC State game (seriously, check out the highlights).
Personality
“Old School” comes to mind.
I’m not sure coming back to Kansas State helped his draft stock, but he wanted another season with the Kansas State beef (what they called the line). He also wanted to put his name in contention for the K-State Ring of Honor. That’s what makes Cooper different and one of the reasons why I think teams will regret not taking him in the first round. He was more concerned about his legacy than getting into the NFL as soon as possible.
No one would have blamed him for leaving after helped lead K-State to a Big 12 Championship as a junior, but he stuck around because he didn’t just want to be another great K-State lineman, he wanted to be the first lineman in the Ring of Honor.
That’s the type of leadership and dedication that people get behind. He leads from the front.
Overall
Cooper Beebe is a first round draft pick.
The eggheads might talk themselves out of it, and make him a second round pick, because of his arm length, but he’s a first round pick, even if he doesn’t go in the first round. He’s going to be a plug and play guard in the NFL, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s from day 1.
If your team drafted him, and you’re reading this, congrats, you just filled a guard spot for a decade or more (did I mention he’s also incredibly durable?).
Highlights
You wanna see some dead bodies?
*If you’re looking for K-State stuff on YouTube, The K-State Fan has great content.
*sorry y’all I had to go with this one.