ALLEN PARK — Marshawn Kneeland has one of his final three visits before the draft set with the Detroit Lions. The Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers will also meet with the top edge defender from Western Michigan, according to NFL Network.
Kneeland is regarded by most as a Round 2 or 3 talent. In terms of prospects, Pro Football Focus has him ranked 58th overall and ninth among edge defenders. With a Round 1/2 rating from The Athletic, he is ranked seventh among players at his position.
For whatever it’s worth, Kneeland will be one of four prospects the Lions had a formal combine meeting and a top-30 visit with. Coming out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kneeland remained obscure for much of his college career in the MAC at Western Michigan. But that has quickly changed during the pre-draft process.
2024 NFL Draft: Will the Lions take Marshawn Kneeland at No. 29?
Kneeland’s production wasn’t eye-popping in college, but a deeper look shows he had 37 quarterback pressures in just 10 games last season (according to Pro Football Focus). In a broader sense, as noted by Dane Brugler of The Athletic (subscription required) in his pre-draft prospect guide, he’s a projectable talent.
“Overall, Kneeland is still taking classes in the art of the pass rush, but he is charged up into contact and displays twitch throughout his frame, which allows him to defeat blockers in different ways,” Brugler wrote. “He projects as a starting base end whose best football is yet to come.”
Brugler has Kneeland ranked as the No. 32 prospect in the entire 2024 draft class. A few recent mock drafts have put him to the Lions at No. 29.
Kneeland looks like a nice potential fit for the Lions. He can line up at any spot across the defensive front, he’s a good run defender and he plays with a high motor. As for taking him with their first-round pick, it shouldn’t be ruled out.
