As they say, “When one door closes, another opens,” and Marshawn Kneeland, a rookie defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys, has not simply stepped through the door—he is turned it into a cartwheel. Kneeland was expected to play a supporting role in Mike Zimmer’s defense, but he was thrust into the rotation when teammate defensive end Sam Williams suffered an ACL injury early in training c
Since then, the rookie has performed flawlessly. But that is during the preseason and camp. In his rookie season, what is Kneeland’s best-case scenario? Marshawn becomes an essential part of Zimmer’s defense, according to Chad Reuter of NFL.com. Reuter writes in his prediction piece, “Kneeland beats out veteran players for reps, helping replace the injured Sam Williams (knee).” “Kneeland’s power and hustle off the edge earns him second-effort sacks, and his leverage playing against the run makes him an asset in the new Cowboys defense
Given that Kneeland is a second-round pick and has trained under DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons, his rise this summer should not raise too many red flags. They make a decent learning pair. Not to mention Chauncey Golston
Consequently, Kneeland grabbed the chance that was given to him at the start of camp in Oxnard. His performance in Dallas’ two preseason games on film has been equally spectacular as his camp. He is a valuable addition to Zimmer’s defense because of his strength, physicality, and ability to help stop the run. He will be looking to demonstrate more of the same against the Chargers on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in the preseason finale. Athlesies present chances, and Kneeland has so far seized his
