Add one other SEC participant to the listing of Seattle Seahawks official pre-draft visits.
Edge rusher Princely Umanmielen might have spent the vast majority of his collegiate days on the College of Florida, however he had his breakout season at Ole Miss and enters this yr’s NFL Draft as a possible Day 2 choose.
Right here’s the thin on the 6’4, 244-pound Umanmielen from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler:
A one-year starter at Ole Miss, Umanmielen was a stand-up boundary edge rusher (totally on passing downs) in defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s 4-2-5 base scheme (Umanmielen’s fourth totally different defensive coordinator in 5 years). After beginning two seasons as a 4i defensive finish and edge rusher at Florida, he was a scorching commodity within the switch portal and performed his finest soccer with the Rebels through the 2024 season, setting a profession finest with 10.5 sacks (solely Kyle Kennard had extra sacks within the SEC).
Umanmielen has solely common drive behind his fingers as a move rusher, however he’s at his finest from distance, the place he can bend and use his motion abilities to show the nook on his approach to the quarterback (his variety of pressures created elevated every season). He has gotten greater/stronger and is healthier geared up to carry up towards the run, however he nonetheless must play with extra violence and refinement along with his shed fingers. Total, Umanmielen gained’t simply dismantle NFL tackles or tight ends on the level of assault, however his edge pace, physique management and adaptability make him a harmful two-way move rusher. All of the instruments are there for him to turn into a productive designated move rusher within the NFL.
There’s one weak point listed in Brugler’s scouting report that caught my eye: “Late studying pass-run and mesh factors.”
Weaknesses can at all times be corrected however that’s not promising.
Umanmielen was All-SEC First-team after his lone yr at Ole Miss, upgrading from Second-team in his remaining season with the Gators. He’s not thought of one of many very best edge dashing prospects in comparison with Abdul Carter, Shemar Stewart, Mykal Williams, Donovan Ezeiruaku, and others with no worse than probably first-round aspirations, however he’s in that second tier of edges who could also be chosen in Rounds 2-3.
As just a little enjoyable truth, the Seahawks have solely drafted three gamers from Ole Miss in franchise historical past. DK Metcalf was clearly the newest choice in 2019, however the different two have been heart Chris Spencer within the first spherical of the 2005 draft and cornerback Ken Lucas within the second spherical again in 2001.
