Like Guyton, third-round pick Cooper Beebe is going to have a steeper-than-normal learning curve as a rookie. Also like Guyton, though, he may have no choice but to face it as a starter.
At Kansas State, Beebe started at every position along the line except center. In Dallas, center is exactly where he'll be asked to play. Tyler Biadasz also followed Quinn to Washington, which leaves the Cowboys with no enticing alternative.
2022 undrafted free agent Brock Hoffman has just two starts on his resume, and he doesn't possess the upside of Beebe, who was the 29th-ranked prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's final draft board.
"Beebe is a highly decorated, massively built, sawed-off, smart and strong presence with proven versatility to project as a high-floor, solid starting guard in a downhill run scheme," Thorn wrote.
The position change will be a challenge, but Beebe's experience, proven versatility and football intelligence should allow him to make a fast transition.
While Beebe's physical ceiling isn't as high as Guyton's, his rookie mistakes shouldn't be as glaring. His positional flexibility also makes it extremely likely that Beebe is in the Week 1 starting lineup.
Beebe will likely start at center, but if Tyler Smith is at tackle to start the season, Beebe is a logical candidate to start at guard. Either way, he figures to be a very important player in 2024.
