COWBOYS
How did the Dallas Cowboys draft picks Cooper Beebe and Tyler Guyton perform in NFL Preseason Week 2?
Two of the Dallas Cowboys rookies from this year’s draft class provided hope after their preseason victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday.
On Saturday, the Dallas Cowboys beat the Las Vegas Raiders on the road in their second preseason game. You may argue that this is just a preseason game and doesn’t mean anything, but while the Cowboys started their rookies and backups, the Raiders actually played many of their starters, especially throughout the first quarter.
What was more encouraging is that the Cowboys’ top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, offensive tackle Tyler Guyton and center Cooper Beebe, played well and looked promising
Tyler Guyton living up to the hype
There has been a lot of hype surrounding Dallas’ first-round draft pick, offensive tackle Tyler Guyton. He’s been standing out during training camp and in his preseason debut against the Los Angeles Rams, he recorded a pancake on his first snap. On Saturday, he just extended on that success.
Guyton played at left tackle almost the entire first half, and during 17 pass-blocking snaps, Guyton allowed just one pressure, stopping the likes of Raiders All-Pro pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
Guyton wasn’t perfect, but he was a nuisance for the Raiders defense, playing quick and effective. For a 6′8″, 330-pound guy, his agility is impressive. After two preseason games, Guyton ranks 9th out of all OTs to play in the preseason, the highest grade for an offensive tackle from the 2024 Draft class.
Cooper Beebe looking comfortable at center
Cooper Beebe was never a center - in college, he was mostly a guard and sometimes a tackle. But already, he’s looking comfortable and reliable at the center position, a role which he took on with enthusiasm. One of his blocking reps went viral on the internet because of the way he manhandled two Raiders defenders, first taking down defensive tackle John Jenkins and then knocking linebacker Robert Spillane backwards and down to the ground in one play.
That was just one of his many highlights from Saturday. On one play, he snapped the ball to running back Malik Davis and “dirted” another Raiders player on a pull block. Where he really shone was in the combo blocks, something that could end up getting him the start over veteran Brock Hoffman.
On 11 pass-blocking snaps, Beebe didn’t allow a single pressure. In just 23 snaps, he grounded three different Raiders. Considering that Beebe did all this against the Raiders’ starters, he looks ready to take on the starting job come Week 1 of the regular season.