Countdown to 2025 NFL Draft: Princely Umanmielen could be a top prospect for Saints

   

As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches, here is a close-up look at Princely Umanmielen, an atheltic edge rusher the New Orleans Saints should target.

Ole Miss v Wake Forest

Between now and the NFL Draft, there will be a ton of movement on draft boards. The New Orleans Saints, and all other teams, will closely watch a ton of prospects throughout the draft process, and adjust their respective boards accordingly. One prospect that has the chance to catch the eye of the Saints is Princely Umanmielen.

Princely Umanmielen could win over the Saints in the pre-draft process

Accolades: 1st Team All-SEC

2024 stats: 474 snaps, 10.5 sacks, 54 pressures

Size: 6’4”, 255 LBS

Projection: Late first round, early second

Princely Umanmielen is an explosive edge rusher who wins with speed around the edge. Umanmielen can provide consistent, quick pressure by beating the opposing lineman with his first step. He is an intriguing prospect for any team wanting to improve their pass rush.

Umanmielen has impressive speed for his size. He uses it to beat the opposition around the edge successfully. If the lineman doesn’t rapidly get out of his stance, Umanmielen is likely around him already. Due to this, he has shown the ability to get pressure on the quarterback in an instant. 

Umanmielen excels at changing his speed to keep the offensive lineman off balance. He implements well-timed hesitations to throw off the opposing players' timing. Then, he uses his explosiveness to stop immediately and cut right inside to get to the quarterback.

His preference is winning around the edge, however, Umanmielen has a developed spin move that he can use if the outside is taken away. The former Rebel’s counter-move is highly effective. It’s rare to see a lineman consistently defend it. If Umanmielen can develop a more consistent game plan with it, he could become even more dangerous.

Umanmielen is versatile enough to be able to provide coverage or spy the quarterback. He is an easy fix if a quarterback’s mobility is killing a defense. He does a good job of keeping his eyes on the quarterback and not allowing him to escape to the edge.

His IQ in the run game is also impressive for the position. He knows exactly where he needs to be while defending. He thrives when the offense does a read option. Umanmielen doesn’t over-commit to one person, he stays level and makes the play.

The area that Umanmielen needs to improve the most is his strength. He can be overpowered by an offensive lineman at times, particularly in the run game. This causes him to be pushed out of the play entirely. Improving this is paramount to his development as a three-down player.

Princely Umanmielen’s athleticism and speed make him a desirable prospect for any team looking to improve their pass-rush. His ability to provide quick pressure and IQ in the run game makes him a late first or early second round pick.