NFL Draft: Intriguing Edge Rusher Visiting Vikings

One of the draft prospects the Vikings hosted on an official visit this week is Western Michigan EDGE Marshawn Kneeland, a toolsy player who is projected as a likely second-round pick. When it's all said and done, he will have visited a whopping 16 different teams during this pre-draft process.

A lot of buzz lately for #WesternMichigan edge Marshawn Kneeland, who has one of the busiest pre-draft itineraries you’ll see. He visited the #Texans, #Vikings, #Buccaneers, #Panthers and #Colts this week, part of a 16-team visit schedule for the late first-/early second-rounder. pic.twitter.com/iv7uJXEOot
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 12, 2024

Kneeland is an intriguing Day 2 edge rusher with an outside chance to sneak into the bottom of the first round. He was hardly recruited and never had five sacks in a single season during his time at WMU, but he has impressive athletic traits and a ton of flashes on film. Over the last three seasons, Kneeland had 10.5 sacks and 25.5 total tackles for loss for the Broncos despite missing some time due to injuries.

The Athletic's Dane Brugler ranked Kneeland as his No. 32 overall player. His scouting report:

"When shopping for pass rushers, give me the guys who hate to be blocked. Kneeland certainly qualifies, as he uses his long arms and bully hands to get loose. Though he lacks the rush savvy that leads to high-end production, he is explosive in his movements with the power to push the pocket or plant ball carriers. 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. He projects as a starting base end whose best football is yet to come."

Edge rusher is no longer a gargantuan need for the Vikings after they signed Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel in free agency, but they could still use a young building block at that position. Right now, the only homegrown OLBs on the roster are Pat Jones II and Andre Carter II. Kneeland projects as a good fit in Brian Flores' defense, but it seems fairly unlikely that he'll end up in Minnesota. The Vikings have picks 11 and 23 and then nothing until the fourth round, so in order to have the opportunity to draft Kneeland at value, they'd have to pull off a trade that ended up with them landing a second-round pick.

Given how Kwesi Adofo-Mensah loves to wheel and deal, anything is possible.

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