The Cowboys defense will be run by Mike Zimmer now, his first job in the NFL since 2021 as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. This leaves a lot of room for projection when it comes to what changes Zimmer’s defense may feature. Free agency offered only a few clues for the Cowboys, as they addressed linebacker with a former Zimmer defender in Eric Kendricks. They also plan on moving Markquese Bell back to safety, looking for bigger and more traditional linebackers that can stand up against the run, targeting another in the draft in the third round with Notre Dame’s Marist Liufau. Clearly this is a team trying to win more along the line of scrimmage, spending three other draft picks on the offensive line, and Kneeland’s skill set puts him in prime position to help the Cowboys do this on defense – so much so that the rookie was named one of the best scheme fits for all 2024 draft picks on this side of the ball by USA Today’s Touchdown Wire.
With Zimmer having a history of getting the most out of versatile defensive linemen that can play on the edge or interior like Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen, the Cowboys went into this offseason rightfully optimistic about the work he can do with players like Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Sam Williams. It’s the veteran of this group in Lawrence that further helps justify the Cowboys using their second-round pick on Kneeland, as Dallas saw similarities from Kneeland’s tape at Western Michigan compared to Lawrence at Boise State. Lawrence turned 32 earlier this offseason, so the Cowboys getting a player with college production that can step in right away while also thinking about replacing one of their franchise cornerstones on defense in the near future makes this a smart pick.
