Marshawn Kneeland, Edge Western Michigan: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Kneeland was a two-star recruit from Godwin Heights High School in Grand Rapids, Mich. in the class of 2019

Senior Bowl invitee Marshawn Kneeland looks like a Day Two gem in a class with limited pass rushing options. The Western Michigan product isn’t a big name now, but he has all of the tools and athleticism to be a big time riser in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Visit my Twitter account @Sam_Teets33 for more opinions on prospects, clips, and the latest football content.

Marshawn Kneeland, Edge Western Michigan: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth-year redshirt junior edge rusher from Grand Rapids, Mich.

Background: Kneeland was a two-star recruit from Godwin Heights High School in Grand Rapids, Mich. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 3,427 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 2,774 (three-star) for On3.com. Kneeland was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals. He didn’t receive a star rating or grade out of 100 from ESPN. Kneeland entered the transfer portal and committed to Colorado after the 2022 season but chose to return to Western Michigan. In high school, Kneeland was a team captain, a two-time All-Conference selection, an All-Area and Dream Team honoree, an All-State honorable mention as a junior, and a First Team All-State selection as a senior. He set Godwin Heights’ records for tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks. As a senior, Kneeland amassed 110 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and eight sacks. He also caught 20 passes for 330 yards and five touchdowns as a tight end. As a junior, Kneeland totaled 80 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 15 sacks. He was also a regional champion in the 400-meter dash and an All-Conference high jumper. Kneeland was born on July 8, 2001.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed one game in 2020, missed three games in 2022 with a leg injury from camp, missed two games in 2023, left game early vs. Syracuse (2023)

Awards: 2019 Co-Outstanding Scout Team Player of the Year, 2023 Team Captain, 2023 Second Team All-MAC

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, and field goal block units, NFL teams will like his frame, arms will meet NFL thresholds, good straight-line speed, nice closing burst, motor runs hot, hands pack nice pop on impact, powerful arm extensions, consistent leg drive, burst to stress tackles vertically, pushes tackles vertically to access the B-gap, lowers his pad level to dip under tackles, spins back into the action, converts speed to power, long-arm move, swim move, club-swim, chains a bull rush into a swim, had success with bull rush vs. Syracuse (2023), power overwhelms tight ends, really disruptive when rushing with a head of steam as a standup defender, tries to get hands in passing lanes, occasional zone drops reps, nose for the ball in the run game, creates some vertical displacement against one-on-one run blocks, flows down the line to the ball, quickly redirects from blocks against the run, effective backside run defender, splits TE-OT double teams in the run game, makes plays in pursuit

Cons: Underdeveloped pass rush plan, too many non-impact plays as a pass rusher, doesn’t win often after the shock of his initial punch passes, limited counters to revive rush, plenty of power but no finesse, inconsistent playing through the frames of stout linemen from a three-point 4-tech role, unknown if bull rush will translate against NFL talent, struggles to break clamps, not a good match for double teams or chip blocks as a rusher, lacks elite agility for tight turns, limited bend, fluidity is challenged when attempting to win around the edge, doesn’t finish enough plays when he gets into the backfield

Overview: Kneeland has special teams experience on the kick return, kick coverage, punt return, and field goal block units. His frame and long arms will attract NFL teams. Kneeland is an above-average athlete by league standards, with good straight-line speed and nice closing burst. His motor runs hot as he relentlessly pursues the ball carrier. The redshirt junior’s hands pack good pop on impact, and he uses powerful arm extensions and consistent leg drive to displace linemen. He has the burst to stress tackles vertically and the power to blow them back so he can access the B-gap. Kneeland lowers his pad level to try to dip under tackles, but he isn’t always successful at bending around the edge. He spins back into the action but doesn’t use a spin as one of his primary rush moves. Kneeland relies heavily on converting speed to power and getting home with a bull rush, including a long-arm move. He also uses swim and club-swim variations, but that’s the extent of his pass rush arsenal. Tight ends can’t block him in pass protection. Western Michigan primarily lined Kneeland up as a 5-tech or in wider alignments in 2023, but the defense also frequently allowed him to walk down in the A-gap or B-gap as a standup linebacker. He was extremely disruptive when rushing from this position because he could build a head of steam into contact. Kneeland tries to get his hands into passing lanes and occasionally drops into zone coverage. Unfortunately, the All-MAC selection suffers from an underdeveloped pass rush plan, leading to too many reps where he fails to make an impact as a pass rusher. He struggles to capitalize on the initial pop his punches create, and once their shock wears off, his pass rush plan crumbles. Kneeland doesn’t work many counters into his game and relies on power with limited finesse or intricate hand usage. It’s worth noting that his disruptive bull rush will likely be less effective against NFL-caliber tackles than it was against directional Michigan schools, Iowa (2023), and Syracuse (2023). Kneeland’s bull rush is significantly less effective when he’s forced to line up in a three-point stance as a 4-tech, suggesting he's a wide-alignment, outside linebacker-only. The Michigan native needs to place more focus on breaking clamps mid-rush. He is not a good match for double teams or chip blocks in the passing game. Kneeland lacks elite agility for tight turns, which leads to unfinished plays in the backfield. He doesn’t have the bend to flatten his rush around the outside consistently, which eliminates his potential as a speed rusher. Fortunately, Kneeland has an excellent nose for the ball in the run game. He creates vertical displacement against one-on-one run blocks with his power. Kneeland quickly redirects from blocks and flows down the line to the ball. He is an effective backside run defender and can split tight end-tackle double teams on the front side. Kneeland’s speed and motor help him make plays in pursuit.

Overall, Kneeland is a surprisingly powerful edge rusher who offers a high floor as an athlete and run defender but still needs to develop and diversify his pass rush arsenal. Like many physically gifted defensive linemen in the 2024 class, Kneeland lacks the pass rush plan and technical hand usage to step in as an NFL starter immediately. He joins a growing group of physically gifted linemen whose teams will draft because of their projected ceilings.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme

Round Projection: Mid Third to Mid Fourth

Size: 6'3", 275 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 12-06-23