Name: Cooper Beebe 

School: Kansas State

Year: Senior

Position: OG

Measurables: 6’4”, 335 lbs. (per KSU Athletics).

Combine:  40yd: 5.03, 10-yd: 1.75, Vertical 27.5", Broad: 9'1", 3-cone: 7.44, 20-yd shuttle: 4.61, Bench: 20 reps.

General Info:

Despite a high school career that saw Cooper Beebe play for Team USA in multiple under-19 international competitions, Beebe was not a highly sought after recruit coming out of Piper High School in Kansas City, Kansas. 247Sports considered him a composite three-star prospect: the 1416th ranked player nationally and the 93rd overall Defensive Tackle—his position in high school. Beebe only received three offers—one from Minnesota, where his brother was playing TE, and one from each of the major schools in Kansas. Initially it appeared Beebe would commit to the Kansas Jayhawks, but after a bizarre meeting with a coach who told Beebe not to come play for them, he joined Kansas State—and what a coup that would be for the Wildcats.

Beebe only appeared in two games as a true freshman, allowing him to keep redshirt status in his first year.

As a redshirt freshman in 2020, Beebe started eight of the nine games he appeared in. Seven of those games were at Right Tackle, where he excelled, before moving to Left Guard for his final start. During his first season as a full-time starter for KSU, the Wildcats gave up some of the fewest sacks in D1 Football and had a wildly efficient red zone offense.

Beebe changed positions again in 2021, starting 13 out of 13 games at Left Tackle for the Wildcats and was phenomenal. Following the season, he became the youngest KSU lineman named to All-Big 12 First Team since Dalton Risner in 2016 and received several votes for Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year. He was not credited with a single sack over the course of the year. Additionally, while all of his starts were at Left Tackle, he showed his versatility, taking some snaps at Right Guard; his fourth offensive line position since switching sides of the ball.

2022 was another stellar season for Beebe, despite another positional change. He moved to Left Guard full time. That season, KSU had a dominant rushing game, ranking 15th nationally and had the 2nd most total yards in school history. Beebe was named a First Team All-American by practically every outlet there is, and his campaign for Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year was much more successful than it was the year prior. He also served as a team captain for the 2022 season.

Although he likely would have been drafted had he declared after 2022, Beebe decided to return to KSU for his redshirt Senior season. He also returned to Left Tackle, starting all 13 games there. Following the season, he was named an unanimous All-American, and was a finalist for numerous awards including the Outland Trophy, the Lombardi Award, and the William V. Campbell (the so-called “Academic Heisman”). And in case his versatility hasn’t been mentioned enough… he took three snaps at Defensive Tackle!

As his eligibility expired following the season, Beebe officially declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. Though he accepted his invitation to the annual Reese’s Senior Bowl, Beebe wound up electing not to participate. He has also been invited to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, and is expected to do measurable and positional drills. 

Positional Skills:

Strengths:

26 starts at Left Tackle, 14 starts at Left Guard, 8 starts at Right Tackle, and a handful of snaps at Right Guard. Although Beebe profiles as a Guard in the NFL, the enormous amount of experience he has at almost every position on the line is incredibly appealing. Teams will be in love with his versatility.

This is a man with a LOT of mass. At 6’4” and 335 lbs (pending his official Combine measurements), Beebe is a dense, hard to move Offensive Lineman who plays with natural leverage. He looks the part of long time starting Guard in the NFL.

Classic “Guard with a mean streak.” I am hesitant to outright call Beebe a mauler because I think that conveys some athletic force that Beebe might lack, but that attitude is definitely there. He’s hardtack tough and takes every snap to the whistle.

One of the higher floor Offensive Lineman in this draft class. There are some questions about his overall ceiling due (again) to questions about his overall athleticism, but Beebe is could well be a day one starter at Guard. Five years of college ball have created a seasoned, technically sound player.

Weaknesses:

Beebe is not an unusual athlete for an NFL player. Aside from impressive strength, the KSU product’s other athletic traits are closer to “functional” than they are “above-average,” particularly when looking at explosiveness.

Part of the reason Beebe profiles as a Guard in the NFL is because of his short arms and dense build. Beebe can engage any defender he encounters, but he struggles to displace and can be taken off balance attempting to compensate for his physical limitations.

Occasional bouts of impatience sometimes subvert his general technical capability. I talked about being taken off balance by defenders in my previous note, but sometimes Beebe takes himself off balance because he is too quick to bite. He’ll lunge at opponents at times and lose the advantages his weight and strength provide him.

Fit with the Packers:

Green Bay, quietly, could use some depth at Guard. Jon Runyan is a free agent, and Royce Newman is Royce Newman. While Zach Tom is certainly a capable fill-in, I think the Packers would like to keep him at Right Tackle where he excelled last year. Elgton Jenkins is still a stud, and Sean Rhyan seemed to be coming on strong last year, but injuries happen and Green Bay should absolutely be trying to find an upgrade for Newman. The Packer’s love of versatile linemen is very well documented, and Cooper Beebe absolutely fits that mold. He would instantly be the top backup at both Guard spots, and could potentially take some snaps at Tackle if Green Bay is really in a pinch. Ideally, Beebe can push Rhyan for a starting spot and potentially become a full time starter if Rhyan or Jenkins leave in free agency at some point in the next few seasons. Though Beebe probably doesn’t have Pro Bowl upside, he ought to be a starting quality Guard in this league for a long time and would be a fantastic pick in the Third or Fourth rounds of the draft, even if he isn’t the caliber of athlete that Green Bay tends to like.

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