2024 NFL Draft Prospect Report: Western Michigan Broncos

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 09 NIU at Western Michigan — Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

All eyes were on the seven former Broncos who worked out for NFL scouts— including Day 2 prospect Marshawn Kneeland.

Next in line for our Prospect Report is the Western Michigan Broncos.

On March 11th, the Broncos played host to 23 teams and over 50 scouts, and over half of a dozen former players worked out to make their NFL Draft dreams come true.

Lance Taylor’s first season at the helm was not quite up to what the WMU faithful wanted, but they showed promise for 2024 and beyond. With seven athletes working out— including a probable second-round talent shooting up draft boards— the talent was there for the Broncos.

Last year, Zaire Barnes was the lone Western Michigan alumnus to get drafted. This year will likely mark the first time since 1971-1974 that at least one Bronco gets drafted in four consecutive years.

Below are the raw numbers and Relative Athletic Scores for all WMU prospects. All RAS cards are courtesy of Kent Lee Platte, with express written permission, and can be found at RAS.football.

DT Marshawn Kneeland

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: FEB 03 Reese’s Senior Bowl

Elevator Pitch:

A four-year starter for the Broncos, Marshawn Kneeland was a very productive member of the WMU defense. Over the last four years, Kneeland racked up 149 tackles, 28 TFLs, and 12.5 sacks. He also added a trio of forced fumbles and pass breakups. He earned Second-Team All-MAC honors and was one of two MAC representatives to the Senior Bowl.

You can read up more on Kneeland in our previous individual profiles from the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine.

Draft Projections:

NFL’s Lance Zierlein: 6.16 prospect grade (projects as eventual starter)
NFL Next Gen Grade: 76 (good)
The Draft Network: “Day 2” (Rounds 2-4)
Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings: “Top 100 prospect”
ESPN Insider Big Board: 54th overall (mid-second round)
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: Sixth-best defensive end prospect

Measurables (as of Pro Day)

Height: six-foot-three
Weight: 267 lbs.
Arms: 34 and one-half inches
Hands: nine and one-eight inches

Skill Drills (as of Combine)

40-yard dash: 4.75 seconds
10-yard split: 1.65 seconds
20-yard split: 2.77 seconds
Shuttle: 4.18 seconds
Three-cone drill: 7.02 seconds
Vertical jump: 33 and one-half inches
Broad jump: nine feet, eleven inches
Bench: 21 reps at 225

Relative Athletic Score:

RAS Comparisons:

Henry Melton (2009)
Danny Noonan (1987)

CB Keni-H Lovely

Elevator Pitch:

Over the last two years, Keni-H Lovely has been a familiar face in the WMU secondary. He logged 96 tackles, 11.5 TFLs, a sack, six interceptions (one pick-six), seven pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in just the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Draft Projections:

UDFA

Measurables (as of Pro Day)

Height: five-foot-ten
Weight: 182 lbs.
Arms: 30 and one-half inches
Hands: eight and seven-eight inches

Skill Drills (numbers from Pro Day)

40-yard dash: 4.39 seconds
10-yard split: 1.58 seconds
20-yard split: 2.50 seconds
Shuttle: 4.26 seconds
Three-cone drill: 6.98 seconds
Vertical jump: 38 and one-half inches
Broad jump: ten feet, three inches
Bench: 13 reps at 225

Relative Athletic Score:

RAS Comparisons:

John Green (2017)
Tre Brown (2021)

LB Nate Norris

Elevator Pitch:

Nate Norris was only a Bronco for one season. He amassed 62 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, a sack, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup in his only year in Kalamazoo. Before the 2023 season, Norris transferred to WMU from Leheigh Mountain, where he was a four-year starter and accounted for 194 tackles in 41 games.

Draft Projections:

UDFA

Measurables (as of Pro Day)

Height: six-foot
Weight: 220 lbs.
Arms: 30 and one-quarter inches
Hands: eight and one-half inches

Skill Drills (numbers from Pro Day)

40-yard dash: 4.68 seconds
10-yard split: 1.68 seconds
20-yard split: 2.66 seconds
Shuttle: 4.44 seconds
Three-cone drill: 7.15 seconds
Vertical jump: 39 and one-half inches
Broad jump: ten feet, seven inches
Bench: 31 reps at 225

Relative Athletic Score:

RAS Comparisons:

Dean King (2016)
Kinnon Tatum (1997)

TE Austin Hence

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 07 Western Michigan at Mississippi State

Elevator Pitch:

Austin Hence was been at the collegiate level since 2016. 2023 was Hence’s first full-healthy season at WMU. In 12 games, Hence recorded 269 yards and three touchdowns off of 25 receptions. He did miss each of the two previous seasons due to injury. He transferred in from Mercyhurst Unviversity after not playing in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the three years prior, Hence accounted for 818 yards and four touchdowns. He redshirted in 2016.

Draft Projections:

UDFA

Measurables (as of Pro Day)

Height: six-foot-three
Weight: 229 lbs.
Arms: 32 and three-fourth inches
Hands: nine and three-eight inches

Skill Drills (numbers from Pro Day)

40-yard dash: 4.76 seconds
10-yard split: 1.66 seconds
20-yard split: 2.68 seconds
Shuttle: 4.48 seconds
Three-cone drill: 7.18 seconds
Vertical jump: 35 and one-half inches
Broad jump: ten feet, two inches
Bench: 15 reps at 225

Relative Athletic Score:

RAS Comparisons:

David Jones (1991)
Joshua Perkins (2016)

WR Leroy Thomas

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 30 Ball State at Western Michigan

Elevator Pitch:

Another transfer portal addition, Leroy Thomas ended up as the second-leading receiver for the Broncos with 389 yards and a pair of touchdowns off of 35 receptions. Prior to WMU, Thomas spent four years at VMI where he amassed 1,719 yards and eight touchdowns.

Draft Projections:

UDFA

Measurables (as of Pro Day)

Height: five-foot-ten
Weight: 180 lbs.
Arms: 30 and one-half inches
Hands: eight and three-eight inches

Skill Drills (numbers from Pro Day)

40-yard dash: 4.77 seconds
10-yard split: 1.67 seconds
20-yard split: 2.65 seconds
Shuttle: 4.20 seconds
Three-cone drill: 6.91 seconds
Vertical jump: 33 inches
Broad jump: nine feet, five inches
Bench: 22 reps at 225

Relative Athletic Score:

RAS Comparisons:

Toderick Malone (1996)
Aaron Bailey (1994)

OG Trevor Campbelll

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: FEB 01 Reese’s Senior Bowl

Elevator Pitch:

Patience paid off for Trevor Campbell. Campbell was with the Broncos for seven years and only appeared in one game in his first four seasons. In 2021, Cambell got his chance and played in six games before suiting up for 10 games in 2022. Last year, he was one of the Broncos’ starting guards for 10 games.

Draft Projections:

UDFA

Measurables (as of Pro Day)

Height: six-foot-three
Weight: 306 lbs.
Arms: 31 and five-eighths inches
Hands: eight and three-quarter inches

Skill Drills (numbers from Pro Day)

40-yard dash: 5.59 seconds
10-yard split: 1.98 seconds
20-yard split: 3.08 seconds
Shuttle: 5.03 seconds
Three-cone drill: 8.26 seconds
Vertical jump: 23 inches
Broad jump: eight feet, two inches
Bench: 21 reps at 225

Relative Athletic Score:

RAS Comparisons:

Deon Sheppard (2019)
Lavonte Hights (2018)

OG Michael Shanahan

Elevator Pitch:

Few Broncos are as well-traveled as Michael Shanahan. Initially, the guard played a pair of seasons at UT-Martin where he racked up First-Team All-OVC honors in 2021 while starting all 20 games. Then, he transferred to Texas Tech before making the move to Western Michigan for the 2023 season. As a Bronco, Shanahan appeared in all 12 games and started 10.

Draft Projections:

UDFA

Measurables (as of Pro Day)

Height: six-foot-three
Weight: 337 lbs.
Arms: 32 and three-quarter inches
Hands: nine and five-eight inches

Skill Drills (numbers from Pro Day)

40-yard dash: 5.67 seconds
10-yard split: 2.00 seconds
20-yard split: 3.22 seconds
Shuttle: 5.15 seconds
Three-cone drill: 8.37 seconds
Vertical jump: 24 and one-half inches
Broad jump: seven feet, eleven inches
Bench: 21 reps at 225

Relative Athletic Score:

RAS Comparisons:

Damien Mama (2017)
Chris Boles (2017)