From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Ole MISS EDGE Princely Umanmielen.
#1 Princely Umanmielen/EDGE Ole Miss – 6043, 264 lbs. (Rs. Senior)
Senior Bowl/NFL Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Princely Umanmielen | 6043/264 | 9 5/8 | 34 1/4 | 81 3/4 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
THE GOOD
— Standout length that will threaten NFL tackles
— Speed to win and take the corner off the edge
— Elite acceleration; able to get to make plays on the sideline
— Flashes high pass rush upside. There are a handful of plays in a game where he looks like a top-10 pick
— Signs of converting speed to power, has the traits to potentially do so at a consistent level
— Competes with effort as a run defender
— Slowly, but has been improving on his spin move each year in college
The Bad
— Not a well-rounded pass rusher, lineman can key into his strengths
— Can’t fully bend when turning the corner, which limits his speed rush ability
— Lacks inside moves that would unlock the ability to fake the outside rush
— Doesn’t have the counter moves to threaten lineman when his first move fails
— While he competes, he can fail to set the edge in run defense due to some play strength issues. He’s not violent enough at the point of contact.
— He doesn’t convert speed to power at a high enough rate
Bio
— 30 career starts in college
— 11 sacks and 55 pressures in 2024
— 28 sacks and 146 pressures in college career
— No significant injury history
— Award-winning tennis and basketball player in high school
— Committed to Florida as a four-star prospect from Manor, Texas
– Transferred to Ole Miss in December, 2023
— Brothers are named Princewill and Princeton
— 91.1 overall PFF grade, 78.7 run defense, and 91.5 pass-rush grade in 2024
— First-Team All-SEC (2024), Second-Team All-SEC (2023)
Tape Breakdown
Princely Umanmielen made headlines last season when he chose not to enter the NFL draft and instead transferred from Florida to Ole Miss for a final season. It turned out to be a wise decision, with Umanmielen producing a career year, shattering his previous statistical records. Formerly a fringe top-100 pick, Umanmielen has established himself as a likely day-two selection.
Umanmielen stands out with his long build and reach. At 6’4” with 34¼” arms, Umanmielen is well suited to line up as an edge rusher.
Umanmielen, the eleventh-rated edge recruit out of high school, is gifted and has natural athletic ability. He springs off the line and is quick for a taller edge. He’s fast, but his acceleration off the outside is more impressive. Umanmielen will rush with patience, then turn the corner and take off. He surprises offensive tackles with a sharp increase in speed to win the edge.
This acceleration translates to Umanmielen’s goto pass rush technique: speed rushing. More often than not, Umanmielen releases and instantly races the lineman to the quarterback. He can win on the release and relies much more on speed than his bend. Umanmielen struggles to get low and can get caught ducking his torso. To be a productive NFL speed rusher, Umanmielen must work on his bend. If he’s simply a one-dimensional speed winner, linemen will start to adjust and counter.
His successful speed rush attempts, like the one below, are a masterclass in execution and an absolute thrill to watch.
Another part of Umanmielen’s profile that needs unlocking is his speed-to-power rush. He’s shown flashes of explosiveness and has the raw traits to convert those flashes into consistent wins.
Here, Umanmielen appears to attack the edge, then squares up to face the blocker. He catches the tackle on his toes to attack the lineman’s chest and secure leverage. Umanmielen picks up enough speed to drive the blocker back into the quarterback. This play shows what he has the potential to do, but sequences like this rarely show up on film.
This is a common pattern in Umanmielen’s pass-rushing evaluation. Highlights portray him as a can’t-miss, elite draft prospect. He performs high upside pass rush reps that most edges in this class can’t even attempt, but on a down-to-down basis, is highly inconsistent. He completely took over the trenches against Georgia but was quiet in other games.
To fully unlock this potential, he must round out his pass-rush profile. He’s a one-trick pony who relies heavily on winning with his release and speed. Outside of that, his one alternative move is an inside spin. Umanmielen’s spin move is incredible when performed and shows how impactful Umanmielen could be with an inside game.
His spin move will be harder to pull off in the NFL without being an inside threat. Umanmielen has no other moves to attack the inside and rarely uses power moves.
As a run defender, he displays the required effort to hold up on the line of scrimmage. He’s a lankier edge, so beefier tackles used physicality to push him outside. Umanmielen won’t be a liability in the run game but will need time to adjust to the strength of the NFL.
Umanmielen plays with noticeably high effort. He’s a relentless rusher with a high motor. He hustles to make tackles and fights until the whistle is blown.
Conclusion
Princely Umanmielen’s performance against Georgia provided a glimpse of his pass rush ceiling. Umanmielen has the potential to be a long, athletic pass-rushing threat. He’s still a work in progress and lacks a well-rounded approach to inside moves, counters, and hand usage. He relies heavily on his release but can occasionally spin to the inside or convert speed to power.
Umanmielen has the hustle to play as a rookie and possesses a speed/length/release combo that makes him hard to ignore in the draft. My comparison for Princely Umanmielen is Marcus Davenport, another athletic pass rusher with a high ceiling.
Projection: Middle Second Round
Depot Draft Grade: 8.1 – Future Quality Starter (2nd-round)
Games Watched: 2024 vs Oklahoma, 2024 vs Georgia, 2024 vs Kentucky, 2024 @ Florida
