(Photo: 247Sports)
As NFL Free Agency continues to slow down and all 32 franchises across the league look forward to the 2025 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears will be one of the most active teams on draft weekend. With four picks inside the top 75, general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson will have plenty of opportunities to add quality talent to the roster.
Set to be one of the deepest edge rusher classes in recent memory, Poles and Johnson could view the upcoming class as an opportunity to add even more pass rushers. Two second round picks (No. 39 and No. 41) allow the Bears to add a prospect who will join a rotation that already includes Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, and 2024 fifth-round pick Austin Booker. It'd give defensive coordinator Dennis Allen a perfect mix of young players and veterans.
One of the most intriguing names to watch will be Ole Miss Rebels edge rusher Princely Umanmielen who totaled 17.5 sacks during his last two seasons in college. Watching the tape, there's a lot to like about the skillset that he brings. With 33.87-inch arms, he could really be the type of player that the Bears fall in love with.
Let's get into our scouting report on Umanmielen.
Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss, (6-foot-4, 244 pounds)
From his NFL.com draft profile via Lance Zierlein:
"Finesse edge defender with traits, athleticism and upside to have his sack production translate to the NFL. Umanmielen is a serious ground-gainer with burst, stride and bend to create shallow edges leading directly into the quarterback's drop space. He's not instinctive and takes predictable pathways to the pocket, but he's simply hard to keep out of the pocket due to his attributes. He lacks play strength and aggression as a run defender. He will have trouble setting edges and might not be an early down option early in his career. Umanmielen is an ascending stand-up edge rusher who might be just scratching the surface of his already threatening rush talent."
Film:
Strengths:
- Size, length, and athleticism are prevalent on tape as a player who could really thrive as a rotational pass rusher during the earlier portions of his career.
- Is willing to set the edge with a mean streak.
- Has an understanding of how to use his long arms when it comes to disrupting the quarterback in the pocket.
- Plays with a high motor, something that is evident when he is scrambling after the ball carrier.
- Eyes, hands, and feet always seem to mirror each other when looking for the ball carrier.
- Possesses an arsenal of pass rush moves that will allow him to line up all over the field.
- Does play with powerful hands when engaging offensive linemen.
Weaknesses:
- Needs to get better at reacting when the ball is snapped. If he can speed up his internal clock, he could really take another step forward as a rookie in the NFL.
- Can be slow to react as a run defender.
- Needs to be more physical when trying to plug gaps in the run game.
- Struggles to shed blocks due to lack of due physicality at times.
- Plays light at just 244 pounds. Adding at least 10 to 15 pounds of muscle to his frame needs to be his main priority at the next level.
- Relies too much on his athleticism at times, leading to him not making plays.
Final Thoughts:
There is a lot to like about Umanmielen's potential to become an effective starter at the next level. But for at least his rookie season, he will be the type of prospect who needs some time to develop so spending time as a part of a rotation could do wonders for his development.
He isn't the most athletic edge rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft but the traits are certainly there to develop into a solid contributor or the Bears in Allen's defense. Umanmielen should be a name to watch in either the second or third round because his arm length and ability to set the edge could be two reasons the Bears fall in love with him.
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