Ole Miss transfer addition Princely Umanmielen could have declared for the 2024 NFL Draft after a strong fourth season, but instead, his scouting report will be of interest in the 2025 cycle. What does Umanmielen bring to the table, and can he go in Round 1?
Princely Umanmielen’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 255 pounds
- Position: Edge Rusher
- School: Ole Miss
- Current Year: Redshirt Senior
Umanmielen is one of four brothers, three of which have played or currently play college football. The older brother of Princewill (a defensive end for Nebraska) and the younger brother of Prince (who played at Tarleton State), Princely Umanmielen may be the first to reach the NFL.
It’s been a long road for the Umanmielen middle child, but Princely was always highly regarded as a talent. A four-star recruit originally out of Manor, Texas, Umanmielen signed with the Florida Gators out of high school, over others like LSU, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Umanmielen flashed in limited action over his first two seasons, but his first breakout came in 2022, when he amassed 4.5 sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. The following year, he notched career-highs in both sacks (seven) and TFLs (11.5).
Now, for his final season, Umanmielen has transferred across the SEC to Ole Miss — where he’ll play on a stacked defensive line alongside potential early-round defensive tackle Walter Nolen.
To start the year, how does Umanmielen grade?
Umanmielen’s Scouting Report
Strengths
- Has a lean, athletic, and well-proportioned frame with excellent length.
- Boasts volcanic one-step burst and hyper-elite explosive capacity off the line.
- With combined one-step burst and long strides, can cover massive amounts of ground.
- Can pinch tight angles and drastically reduce surface area while sustaining acceleration.
- Explosive, free-flowing lateral mover with lively twitch and stunting utility across gaps.
- High-end explosiveness and length combination grants a degree of inherent raw power.
- Flashes the ability to sustain power rushes to a degree with grating leg drive and length.
- Flexibility allows him to snap into proper leverage when combatting run blocks.
- In run defense, proactively uses his length to rip around blocks and combat extensions.
- Has enough core strength to absorb combo blocks and limit displacement when moving.
- Has shown to win with dip and rips, bull rushes, and more expansive counters.
- Can feign long-arms, then dip and accelerate below the apex with elite bend capacity.
- Able to tempo euro chop-rip combos, and has an efficient spin move in his arsenal.
- Can work across-face versus moving blocks and swarm in front of unsuspecting runners.
- High-motor rusher who can fight through contact and launch into QB pursuit when free.
Weaknesses
- Has room to add more mass to his frame to reach NFL-level play strength.
- Despite build, power element is still relatively lacking and inconsistent on execution.
- Can better leverage power exertions with base alignment and energy load in hands.
- Is sometimes too predictable rushing outside and sacrifices tempo for over-aggression.
- Sometimes lacks the hand strength to combat resistance and finish moves resoundingly.
- Could still strive for more consistency stacking counters off of initial hand moves.
- Hand precision can improve on outside-hand chops when supplementing rip moves.
- Lacks elite grip strength, which can impact his ability to deconstruct and replace anchors.
- With lack of elite mass, can sometimes crumble underneath well-leveraged linemen.
- Chips from running backs off the edge can bait him into diverting too far upright.
- Occasionally flushes too far upfield in run defense, leaving lanes open for runners.
- Will be a 23-year-old rookie to start the 2025 NFL season.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Entering the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, Umanmielen grades out as a top-50 prospect and a fringe first-round talent. His value is even better in the early-to-mid Day 2 range, but if he can show off improved play strength and power in 2024, Round 1 capital is on the table.
Umanmielen’s explosiveness and bend — in tandem with his long 6’5″ frame — make him a unique talent on the 2025 NFL Draft circuit. He creates instant angle disadvantages for blockers off the snap and has the rare bend capacity to sink, reduce, and pinch tight angles while keeping speed.
Going further, Umanmielen already has stellar utility as a run defender. He actively engages and squares up blocks with his length and effortlessly acquires leverage with his flexibility. He can stack, shed, and limit displacement, and his length and speed make him a venerable pursuit presence.
For Umanmielen, the biggest point of emphasis in 2024 will be expanding his pass rush and power arsenal. He can win with speed, bend, and finesse, and he’s flashed the ability to engage his tools in power generation, yet his consistency is still a work in progress.
If Umanmielen can reach the next level with his power and strength, he has great run defense utility and enough of a pass-rush arsenal to command Round 1 capital. He’s also athletic enough to occasionally drop in flat coverage.
Overall, Umanmielen is a well-rounded physical talent with a reasonable pathway to three-down utility. A particularly good fit for odd and hybrid-front schemes with his ability as a stand-up rusher, he can be a catalyst and a safety blanket all in one.