Prospect Profile: Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan

Context

Plays mostly with his hand in the dirt as a 7 technique but they also mixed in having him stand up and rush inside.

Pass Rush

His upfield burst is solid but not spectacular; his processing in the run game is much better than his ability to read run pass and therefore get off the ball quickly. Has measurable explosion so has the potential to get off quicker and threaten the edge quickly but it is not at all consistently shown in game. He has demonstrated that he does have a rush plan with the way he sets up moves but the plan isn’t yet well formed and doesn’t always result in success as he doesn’t often craft a good plan that works. Even down to down, when he’s countering after his initial move is stopped, he doesn’t consistently select the right counter. He has an array of moves but they are not yet well executed. He has a cross-chop that he uses but it is far too elongated, his hand comes up too high, which gives savvy OL the option to either bait him and get him off balance or to time their own strike as they can see his coming so far out. This is a variation on a theme with his hands not being consistently accurate or well-timed when rushing the passer. He has a long arm move which is initially good and can get him some movement, but better OL can reset and re-anchor against it. It’s a similar story on his bull rush but this is more effective when he sets up the move with his footwork. He will counter but his counters aren’t often successful as already mentioned, with the exception of a spin move that he can go to after he’s got too far into the Offensive Lineman’s body. He’s not very bendy to corner and can struggle to get around the edge when he has some success getting there. He does have good lateral quickness and change of direction, when he’s done a good job threatening the edge first, he can use this to work an inside move and it’s currently the best part of his pass rush repertoire. His hand timing is particularly late when he’s rushing inside which is something he was asked to do regularly in games. He’s very savvy on stunts, he’s able to occupy two blockers and set a pick for his teammate but he’s also adept at getting into the backfield when the Guard and Tackle try to pass him off. .

Vs Run

He’s a tough, disciplined and powerful run defender. He processes runs quickly and positions himself to maintain gap integrity and make a play on the ball carrier. He has consistently good hand timing and placement and he also works with leverage so maximizes his play strength as a run defender. He’s a brilliant backside defender against Outside Zone, he has remarkable power and can flatten the OL trying to make a block against him functional before chasing down the back if they’ve made the bend read. When he’s front-side against Outside Zone he will set a physical edge and stalemate but he won’t constrict the running lane, though he will shed and tackle the runner in his gap. This is also true against Inside Zone and Duo, if the runner bounces to the outside he will tackle the ball. Against Down blocks he can see them coming early and wrestle out of them but he could do with processing pullers and TEs coming across the formation to better face down those blocks.

SUMMARY
Excellent run defender, plays with power, processing. Lots of work to do in his pass rush, both his plan and his moves, his hands are inconsistent. His power and raw athleticism will interest a team.

PRODUCTION
JR: 6 Sacks, 3 QB Hits, 51 Total Tackles, 2 FF
SO: 2 Sacks, 1 QB hit, 37 total tackles
INJURY: Missed 3 games with calf injury (’22)

RAVENS FIT
Athleticism 4
Intelligence 3
Versatility 3
Grit 4
Scheme 2