NFL Draft
1/6/25
6 min read
Princely Umanmielen 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Ole Miss Rebels Edge Defender
Height: 6040 (unofficial)
Weight: 255lbs (unofficial)
Year: Redshirt Senior
Pro Comparison: Arnold Ebiketie
Scouting Overview
Ole Miss Rebels edge defender Princely Umanmielen is a long, twitchy speed rusher who, upon entering the NFL, has the ability to quickly impact opposing passing games. Umanmielen has an effective first step and will be challenging for many offensive tackles to frame on the edge.
He’s shown growth and took an added step in his game upon transferring from Florida to Ole Miss — where he played more in space and could defeat angles with his speed and fluidity turning the corner. Umanmielen has room to grow with his run defending, block deconstruction skills, and upper-body power but should be considered a viable long & late down pass rusher as a rookie.
2025 NFL Combine Results
TBD
Positives
- Possesses desirable acceleration through the first five yards of his pass rush charges
- Has the necessary flexibility to dip his inside shoulder and turn the corner with speed
- Plays with the right kind of urgency for second and third-effort plays in both the run game and rushing the passer
Negatives
- Does not showcase the punch power to consistently offset aggressive contact from offensive tackles
- Will scrap and fight to anchor at the point of attack but does not showcase consistent deconstruction techniques with his hands
- Go to pass rush combination wins often — but variety as a rusher is currently modest
Background
Umanmielen is from Austin, TX, and played high school football for Manor HS. As a senior, he posted 10 sacks and nearly 30 tackles for loss (27) as a 4-star recruit (247 Sports). He was a two-sport athlete who not only played football but also partook in track & field as a shot put thrower.
Umanmielen ultimately committed to and played four seasons with the University of Florida. He started 24 of his 45 career games with the program, earning Second-Team All-SEC honors in 2023. He then entered the transfer portal as a 4-star transfer (247 Sports) who enrolled at Ole Miss in January.
He was named First Team All-SEC and Second Team All-American (AFCA) in his lone season with the Rebels, posting career highs in sacks (10.5) and tackles for loss (14). Umanmielen accepted an invitation to the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl in early December.
Tale Of The Tape
Umanmielen has the right stuff to be a disruptive presence on the edge. He’ll be most effective in a wide-9 alignment in the NFL to allow him to threaten tackles with his speed and ability to turn the corner. This is someone who is capable of screaming down off the edge and quickly getting into the mesh point, thanks to his acceleration and his length, which protects him along the edge from overcommitting and missing out on contact from the quarterback.
It is easy to appreciate how he attacks the outside half of tackles. Umanmielen does well to press his angle up the field and then swoop through the contact window. He’s very savvy based on dimensions and angles in real time to create a soft edge with speed. And, when in close quarters, he shows enough ankle flexion and lateral balance through contact to play through pressure and carry through to the quarterback.
Umanmielen’s ability to compress angles and collapse is more modest, however. He struggles with the ability to attack tackles down the middle unless he collects his long-arm speed to power flush through the frame of the tackle. He does have the mobility to dart inside against oversets and slice through uneven levels on the edge to dip inside, but this isn’t predominantly where he does his damage rushing the quarterback.
Ole Miss played him more in space as compared to some of his time in Florida, which was less of a fit. Playing him in a 3-point stance overtop of tackles put him in close quarters and put more pressure on him to press, extend, and deconstruct blocks at the point of attack.
Umanmielen lacks the punch power to do this with consistency, and tackles with firm grip strength were quick to vacuum him in and secure him. These instances lacked the forcible punch power or upper body strength to break down a tackle’s hands and ultimately rendered him incapacitated at the point of attack.
As a run defender, this looms as the biggest challenge for growth in Umanmielen’s game. He does well to spill pullers or long-arm split flow blocks and force ball carriers to bounce outside. He does well in playing pursuit from the back side and has successfully run down some backside plays as the designed unblocked defender.
But at the point of attack, he can be prone to playing with high pads, and his frame does not afford him the ideal amount of mass and lower body power to play up and through the ground with a stout anchor. He’s a sufficient edge setter, but the ability to play off of blocks and actually make tackles as the front-side defender is not a current hallmark of his game.
As such, a penetration role is currently preferred, which would allow him to press the angles in the backfield in order to squeeze and compress the path of the running back. He’s a potential developmental talent, though — as he has the needed length to be a more impactful player in this regard with time and patience.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Umanmielen projects as a designated pass rusher early in his NFL career. His ability to win with angles off the edge and reduce his surface area to play slippery at first contact is a welcomed addition to an NFL pass rush group.
He has shown the physical ability to spill runs and hold his own against the run in flashes, but in an aggressive front scheme, he’ll be afforded pass rush opportunities while developing those areas of his game. He should be considered a viable developmental starter with a high floor as a defensive rotational player.
Grade: 77.00/100.00, Second Round Value
Big Board Rank: TBD
Position Rank: TBD
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