Giants named late-round draft fit for elite pass-protecting guard from Kansas State

Kansas State senior offensive lineman cooper Beebe (New York Giants prospect)
Credit: Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The New York Giants added talent to their offensive line in free agency but could continue to reinforce the position this weekend in the upcoming NFL Draft. The Giants are unlikely to take an offensive lineman early in this draft, however, they could be a landing spot for some of the best linemen available in the later rounds.

Giants Named Late-Round Fit for Kansas State iOL Cooper Beebe

Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In a recent article listing early- and late-round fits for every NFL team, Pro Football Focus’s Trevor Sikkema named the Giants as a landing spot for Kansas State interior offensive lineman Cooper Beebe.

“The versatile and experienced Beebe could be an ideal option for them if he’s available early on Day 3,” Sikkema wrote.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein projected Beebe as a third-round pick and listed Pro Bowl guard Kevin Zeitler as a pro comparison. Zeitler formerly played for the Giants from 2019 to 2020 and has been one of the best and most consistent pass-protecting interior offensive linemen in the NFL for about a decade.

What could Beebe bring to the Giants?

Taking a late-round flier on Beebe could be an intriguing strategy for Big Blue. The 22-year-old lineman has experience playing both guard and tackle in college. In 2021, he was Kansas State’s starting left tackle before moving to guard and starting there for both the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Beebe was PFF’s highest-graded Power 5 guard since 2022, earning an 86.4 overall grade. In 2023, Beebe led all left guards in college football in pass-blocking grade (90.4) and allowed just nine pressures across 456 pass-blocking snaps.

The Giants added Jon Runyan and Jermaine Eluemunor in free agency this offseason, both of whom could start at guard for the next couple of seasons. However, the team would be wise to add more long-term options to develop into eventual starters. Beebe could be a developmental piece to take in the later rounds.

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