The Las Vegas Raiders did a lot of work with regard to their offensive line as far as the NFL Draft was concerned. While last year’s unit will be returning, the team’s new brass could look to add more linemen next April. Maybe one of those prospects will be Cooper Beebe from Kansas State.
The Raiders’ interior offensive line has some question marks, but then again, the unit as a whole actually does. With training camp still a few weeks away, head coach Josh McDaniels is far from committing to one particular lineup. Will John Simpson be the starting left guard? How will Denzelle Good and rookie Dylan Parham figure into the rotation? There’s much uncertainty, but one thing remains true, and that’s that you can never have too many quality linemen, especially those that are versatile. Pro Football Focus certainly believes that the Raiders are far from finished in addressing their O-line.
Kansas State IOL Cooper Beebe, future Raiders left guard?
Michael Renner named a college prospect that each of the NFL teams should monitor this college season. For the Raiders, it was Beebe.
“The offensive line overhaul isn’t done yet. They have a nice young core but could still use another guard across from Dylan Parham. Beebe can be that as he adds a little nastiness to their run game. He has experience at both guard and tackle positions and earned an 85.4 overall grade as a redshirt sophomore last season.”
If Simpson can’t hold down his position, assuming he’s the starter, the need at left guard could warrant attention next April. Luckily for the Raiders, Beebe is quite versatile.
The six-foot-three, 320-pound lineman played a lot of left tackle last year, but his size makes him a better fit inside in the NFL. Watching his game against Nevada from last year, Beebe is a solid run blocker and plays with a mean streak, something that the Raiders could use more of. His speed isn’t off the charts, so dealing with NFL-level edge rushers is a concern, which is why playing at either guard slot might suit him best. Physically speaking, he’s imposing, possesses broad shoulders and plenty of strength to handle incoming defensive linemen. Beebe is definitely a prospect that the Raiders should keep an eye on at this point.
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*Top Photo: Emily Starkey/KS State Sports