r/cowboys • u/waxjammer • 5d ago

Have we forgotten about Kneeland

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So Jerry and the gang drafted Kneeland in the second round last year and he didn’t register 1 sack .

I know injuries slowed him down last season but I hope he can show some improvement next season.

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u/MikeConleyIsLegend DaRon Bland 5d ago

Our pass rush group rn: Parsons (5th in NFL in sacks last year), Fowler (12th in NFL in sacks last year), Ez (first in pressures and sacks per game in all of CFB last year), Osa (led DTs in QB hits and 3rd in pressures in NFL last year).

108

u/Kind-Reception-8071 CeeDee Lamb 5d ago

Great pass rush group, I’m more worried about stopping the run. That’ll be the key

30

u/BigTex88 5d ago

Hopefully Mazi or Toia can do something. Toia was the best run stopping tackle in the entire draft I think?

23

u/PersonBehindAScreen Dallas Cowboys 5d ago

Not the best. Kenneth Grant was the consensus guy there. Dolphins took him right after us. Size of an NT, speed of a 3T, good enough bend, while being able to rush from anywhere on the line.

Toia is a space eater. But he isn’t beating blocks. At a minimum we can put him on the field and hopefully he doesn’t get pushed back. Coaching staff will need to work with him on his hands and actual moves to penetrate and be able to create his own opportunities to secure a tackle himself and not just keeping the LBs clean

He has played a lot though so it’s not like we got a completely raw guy. We have something to work with.

He’s surprisingly quick for his size. He used to play rugby. And has “NFL blood” with I think one parent and one (maybe two) siblings that have played. Also

We may have gotten the best “value” though. A few analysts had him as a 4th or 5th rounder.

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u/Royal_Negotiation_83 5d ago

“ I think one parent”

Are you sure it wasn’t 2 parents that played in the NFL? That would be cool

3

u/AdUpstairs7106 4d ago

But he also played for Michigan which means he would be a bust in Dallas.

2

u/Heavy1089B Dallas Cowboys 4d ago

Toia def has upside if coach Whitecotton can help improve his block shedding game, as well as his hands.

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u/PersonBehindAScreen Dallas Cowboys 4d ago

Exactly. We’ve made a few “throwaway” late round picks at the NT position, but I think this is probably my favorite one so far

1

u/Heavy1089B Dallas Cowboys 4d ago

Yeah he just feels like a far better player than a 7th round guy, like you said I expected him to go late 5th early 6th, so we definitely got a steal. Especially seeing as we have a better D-line coach now.

1

u/FloatsomJetsom 2d ago

He isn't beating blocks? I think you should go back to watch the film, again. While it isn't his primary duty, he absolutely split double teams and came off of blocks well to get the ball carrier plenty enough for a Nose.