Cowboys put Dan Quinn to shame in NFL Draft again with Cooper Beebe steal

The Dallas Cowboys' selection of Marshawn Kneeland in round two was met with mixed reviews given he's an unknown prospect. However, the Cowboys' first pick of the third round is guaranteed to get a much better reception. With the 73rd pick, Dallas selected Kansas State offensive lineman Cooper Beebe.

Beebe is an outstanding pick for the Cowboys. We're not sure how he made it out of the second round. Actually, nemesis Dan Quinn had something to do with that. The Commanders took TCU guard Brandon Coleman six picks earlier at pick No. 67, paving the way for Dallas to steal Beebe at No. 73 overall.

In a vacuum, Beebe is a much better prospect than Coleman. The former Wildcat was the 58th-ranked player on the consensus draft expert board. To get him 15 slots later is excellent value and puts an exclamation point on Dallas' first round trade-back with the Lions.

Cowboys outfoxed Dan Quinn in NFL Draft with Cooper Beebe pick in round three

Time will tell where Beebe plays on the Cowboys' line, but he projects as a day one starter. What makes the pick so worthy of praise is that Beebe played all five spots in college. He played the majority of his snaps at left guard, which is currently occupied by Tyler Smith, but he has vast experience at left tackle (795 snaps), right tackle (488 snaps) and right guard (25 snaps).

It's crazy to think how intertwined the Cowboys and Quinn have been this draft. First, Quinn tried trading back into round one to steal Tyler Guyton, but Dallas didn't bite. Then, Quinn maddeningly agreed to a trade-back with the Eagles, which saw the Birds take Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean, who was arguably the best player available regardless of position after round one.

Though Beebe played both tackle positions in college, he doesn't have the desired athleticism to play tackle in the NFL. He does, however, have an incredibly high floor as a guard. Though he didn't play center at Kansas State, many draft experts believe he can make a smooth transition to the position.

If nothing else, the Cowboys now have options along their line. Beebe could be the heir apparent to the great Zack Martin at right guard but in the meantime the young lineman projects to replace the departed Tyler Biadasz as the team's starting center.

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