Cowboys 2024 rookie report card: Progress report for each pick at the bye week

Round 3, Pick 73: OC Cooper Beebe

Draft day expectations: Cooper Beebe was a tough evaluation at Kansas State because he played a completely different position in college than he would in the pros. It added a degree of difficulty to his film review and made many of the scouting reports null and void since they were grading him as an NFL guard prospect rather than a center.

With that said there was an immediate opening for Beebe in the starting ranks on the Cowboys and his primary weakness at guard, short arms, would be less of an issue playing center. As such, Beebe entered the season with tremendous expectations as a rookie and brought with him a Pro Bowl ceiling in the long-term.

Bye week review: Beebe has been arguably the Cowboys best rookie this season and is well on his way to reaching that lofty ceiling once set. As a first-time OC, Beebe is still a below average performer but that was expected in Year 1. His 413 snaps on offense give him the second most on the roster.

Adjusted expectations: Beebe has given up eight pressures and two sacks in 2024 which is probably higher than many envisioned playing between two All-Pro guards. If Tyler Smith doesn’t move back to LG after the bye, Beebe will be faced with a few extra challenges. The challenges might help in the long term but not so much in the here and now.

Round 3, Pick 87: LB Marist Liufau

Draft day expectations: Liufau seemed like a headscratcher to Cowboys Nation but he was seen as a virtual steal to the Cowboys brass. The Notre Dame LB was a darling of the scouting department and someone Dallas was targeting from the jump.

Liufau didn’t have a clear path to the starting lineup in 2024 and would have to beat out veteran players if hoped to contribute. Spoiler alert: he did.

Bye week review: With 155 defensive snaps, Liufau is third among Dallas LBs through six weeks. It didn’t take him long to leapfrog Damone Clark in the lineup and the future looks bright for the rookie in coming weeks.

Liufau hasn’t been perfect in his run fits and he’s felt the pain of the Cowboys underachieving defensive line as he’s taken on far too many offensive linemen this season. But overall, Liufau appears to have an extra gear to his game and plays with a motor that rivals DeMarvion Overshown, which is an enormous compliment to give.

Adjusted expectations: Unlike the previous three rookies, Liufau’s expectations are higher today than on draft day. Liufau wasted no time stealing meaningful snaps, he’s shown he has the physical qualities needed to play in the NFL and should now come with Pro Bowl expectations for down the road.