Who is Dallas Cowboys draft pick Marshawn Kneeland, comparisons, college records

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The dust has settled after the enthralling NFL Draft which concluded on Saturday and the Dallas Cowboys have addressed several needs.

America’s Team selected Marshawn Kneeland on Day 2 to plug a key gap on defense. Read his profile right here.

Position

Marshawn Kneeland is a 22-year-old defensive end out of Western Michigan who will fill the hole left by Dorance Armstrong.

The latter left the Cowboys in free agency to join the Washington Commanders.

Moreover, Kneeland will be an expected Day 1 starter on the defensive line in 2024.

Draft pick number

The Dallas Cowboys selected Kneeland on the second day of the NFL Draft with the 56^th overall pick.

Jerry Jones had traded back the day before but stayed put on Day 2 to draft the edge rusher.

Combine results

Kneeland had night and day scores at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis back in March.

He ranked 15^th in production but stood at the top of the pile in athleticism amongst defensive edge rushers.

Furthermore, he ran a 4.75 in the 40-yard dash weighing in at 267 pounds. He went on to score 7.02 seconds and 4.18 seconds in the 3-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle respectively.

Overall, his Next Gen Stats Combine score of 74 put him as the 6^th best defensive end in the draft.

Comparisons

When he was announced as the Dallas Cowboys’ second overall pick, NFL expert Daniel Jeremiah compared the rookie to the Los Angeles Chargers Tuli Tuipulotu.

The Charger was also a second-round pick last year and was named in the PFWA All-Rookie Team.

Jeremiah believes the two players are similar in their rugged and physical approach. They can both shut down their opposing offensive lineman at the point of attack with their ruthless athletic ability.

Strengths

The key strength of Kneeland is his unpredictable change of direction because of his agility. He can slip under and around offensive linemen with ease, registering 13 sacks and 149 tackles in college.

Moreover, he uses his heavy hands to his advantage and creates separation from the blocker with his strikes.

Kneeland generates consistent pressure and can collapse the pocket creating dangerous situations for opposing quarterbacks.

College records

The Michigan native was redshirted in his first season playing college football. In his freshman year, he played five games, including three starts.

The Broncos eased Kneeland into college football, as he played in all 12 games with only three starts in 2021.

In his final two years, Kneeland played 20 games with 16 starts. In this period, he became a monster on the edge logging 95 tackles and nine sacks.

In addition, he was rewarded with a selection into the Second-Team All-MAC.

Prospects/predictions

Kneeland is predicted to be a Day 1 starter for the Dallas Cowboys and provide much-needed pressure off the edge.

Both Micah Parsons and the rookie will complement each other on opposing sides of the defensive line.

Mike Zimmer will have been influential in the drafting of Kneeland and will be able to exploit his relentless nature to create a rookie threat which O-Linemen fear.