The Dallas Cowboys want to get back to the glory days of having an elite offensive line that can bully even the best defenses. Their offensive lines in the early 1990s were some of the biggest and baddest the NFL has ever seen. The offensive line run from 2014-2019 was incredible with Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Travis Frederick, but that was a more athletic group that played well in Bill Callahan’s wide-zone scheme.
Brian Schottenheimer has made it clear that he wants to run an offense with more power and gap concepts, which means Dallas needs physical offensive linemen with the strength to move defensive tackles off the line of scrimmage. And that’s primarily why they decided to take Tyler Booker with the No. 12 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was the most powerful offensive lineman in the class, and his elite length and girth will make him an ideal fit in Schootenheimer’s offense.
But there is another player who could greatly benefit from the scheme change in Dallas, and that player is Cooper Beebe. A third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Beebe made the transition from college left tackle to center, starting 16 games for Dallas. But with Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker expected to play next to him, Beebe could be in for a big season.
Cowboys' OL Cooper Beebe projected to have a breakout season
In a recent article by Jonathon Macri of Pro Football Focus, he named one player for all 32 teams who could have a breakout season this year. For the Cowboys, that player was none other than Cooper Beebe, especially after the addition of Booker. Here is why Macri believes Beebe could be significantly better in Year 2 for Dallas:
"The Cowboys have been rebuilding the offensive line through the NFL Draft, and Beebe has already started to show signs of promise after one year as a starter. Beebe finished the regular season ranked 13th in PFF grade (65.4) among centers with at least 578 blocking snaps. Beebe’s strength was as a run blocker in Year 1, though there’s reason to believe that he can become a much better pass-blocker as well, which was his best attribute coming out of college, providing hope that he’ll continue to progress in Year 2."Jonathon Macri, Pro Football Focus
Beebe tested as a high-end athlete coming out of Kansas State, but his game is based on power. He has shorter arms, but he is an incredibly strong center with the ability to move defensive tackles off the ball. But with so much turnover at the right guard position last year, it was hard for Beebe to get comfortable at his new position.
The expectation is that Beebe will be the starting center again in 2025, and with a full year of starting under his belt, we could see him take a massive leap in Year 2.
It’s also worth mentioning that his former offensive coordinator at Kansas State, Conor Riley, is now the new offensive line coach. The familiarity there, on top of the second-year leap we usually see from offensive linemen, sets up well for Beebe to become one of the top centers in the NFC. And if that’s the case, the Cowboys really could have one of the better offensive lines in the league sooner rather than later.