Marshawn Kneeland wins his rep with the counter spin. @MKneeland99’s rush takes him to QB depth. Kneeland counters & gets home. Have a “Plan B” rush that flows off your primary! #PassRush #NFLDraft
via @TDavenport_NFL pic.twitter.com/bd4h7elMfI
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) March 7, 2024
The New Orleans Saints have scheduled their second Top-30 prospect visit of the 2024 NFL draft, after lining one up previously with Northern Iowa defensive tackle Khristian Boyd. Next up on the docket is Western Michigan defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland, per Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report.
Kneeland was one of the 321 total players invited to this year’s NFL Scouting Combine and was also a participant at the 2024 Senior Bowl. At the combine, Kneeland weighed in at 6-foot-3 and 267 pounds and stood out as an exceptional athlete in pretty much every event. He ranked highly amongst his peers at the defensive end position:
- 40-yard dash: 4.75 seconds (19th)
- 10-yard split: 1.66 seconds (tied-18th)
- Vertical jump: 35.50 inches (8th)
- Broad jump: 9 feet 11 inches (T-14th)
- 3-cone drill: 7.02 seconds (1st by 0.28 seconds)
- 20-yard shuttle: 4.18 seconds (1st)
- Bench Press: 21 reps (T-8th)
It is worth noting that he has been listed at defensive tackle in other rankings, which would only help his case. In terms of Relative Athletic Score, a measure created by Kent Lee Platte, Kneeland ranked 75th out of 1,620 defensive tackles from 1987 to present day, with a 9.54 out of 10.00.
Marshawn Kneeland is a DT prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.54 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 75 out of 1620 DT from 1987 to 2024.
Splits projectedhttps://t.co/8WD8Ov9CdT pic.twitter.com/T3ckIUl4vr
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 1, 2024
Kneeland is an extremely disruptive defensive lineman with 37 total pressures, 6 sacks, 38 tackles, and 2 forced fumbles this past season. He also has NFL size for a defensive lineman, a similar frame to Cameron Jordan who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 287 pounds. Kneeland will absolutely be an intriguing prospect in this draft process, and he may see a substantial rise in draft stock due to his combine success.
He also has other Top-30 visits scheduled with the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Carolina Panthers, so it is extremely clear that he is garnering attention in the pre-draft process. He’s currently seen as a second-round draft prospect.
