Dallas City News

The Dallas Cowboys came into the 2024 NFL Draft needing to improve in the trenches on both sides of the ball. It was in the second round that they added to the defensive line when they selected edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland with the 56th overall pick. This was a direct result of losing Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler in free agency, which left a void for the Cowboys on the edge even before Sam Williams tore his ACL.

Once the Cowboys reached Oxnard, California, it was time to get down to the nitty gritty. With plenty of one-on-one work and team sessions, Kneeland’s skills going up against guys like fellow rookie Tyler Guyton would give a great indication of where he game was. Bryan Broaddus deemed Kneeland as the best rookie on AtoZ Sports Dallas last Friday.

I wasn’t sure with Marshawn Kneeland, and then I was thinking, Okay, you’ve got Sam Williams. He could backup Sam Williams. He could been fine. He’ll backup, and you’ll figure it out. But Marshawn Kneeland is a better pass rusher than I gave him credit for. We haven’t seen that finish yet, we haven’t seen the sacks, but the pass rush ability is there. The ability to get the shoulder past the blocker, get underneath, sharpen the angle, and get in on the quarterback.

I think the thing with Kneeland is he gives you that flexibility to be able to play on the edge.

Kneeland came into the NFL with one clear attribute, power. He has the ability to push offensive lineman back into the backfield by getting low with his leverage and extending his arms. In the league, though, you have to have a pas rush plan in case your initial move doesn’t work. As Brodddus said, some of that was clear on film throughout the preseason and training camp, and with more coaching and experience, Kneeland will transform into a complete edge rusher.

The flexibility aspect that Broaddus mentioned is key also. Against the Los Angeles Rams in their second joint practice, Kneeland was a part of a goal line package where he was on the interior alongside Osa Odighizuwa with Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence on the edge. According to Broaddus, the Rams had no answer for this grouping.

With his ability to play the run, Kneeland will automatically be valuable to the Cowboys defense with that being their biggest deficiency. Sharpening up his pass rush skills and learning how to finish by getting to the quarterback is the next step for Kneeland, and with his potential playing time as a rookie, he’ll get all the opportunity to fine-tune that part of his game and take the Cowboys defense to another level.