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On Wednesday, it was reported that the Kansas City Chiefs have had formal interviews with a handful of prospects at the NFL Combine — including Ole Miss’ standout edge rusher Princely Umanmielen.
The former Florida Gator excelled in his lone season with the Rebels, logging 10.5 sacks and a pass rush win rate of 22.8% to go with 28 quarterback pressures in 2024.
Background
Listed at 6 feet 4 and 255 pounds, Umanmielen hails from Manor, Texas, where he played his high school football at Manor High. As a highly sought-after four-star recruit, he received offers from 26 Division I schools, including Texas, LSU, Oklahoma, USC and Oregon.
The 11th-ranked strong-side defensive end in his recruiting class — and the 42nd-ranked Texas prospect — he was listed higher than other 2025 draft hopefuls Rylie Mills (Notre Dame) and Elijah Roberts (SMU).
Umanmielen was born in Lagos, Nigeria. Before Nigeria gained its statehood, his grandfather was king of his tribe — which is where Princely derives his royal name.
“In Nigeria, before it became a real country, there were a bunch of villages in different places. My dad’s dad was like a chief… kind of like a king… My dad wanted to keep that alive, so my big brother’s name is Prince, my name is Princley and my little brother’s name is Princewill and the last one is Princeton,” explained Umanmielen.
If Umanmielen had come out last year, he probably still would have been selected in the draft’s top 150 picks. But he decided to transfer to Ole Miss and play one final season. Now that he’s expected to be selected in this year’s top 50, it seems like he made the right decision.
Umanmielen is an excellent athlete for his size. He is expected to test extremely well when he competes in the Combine’s on-field workouts on Thursday afternoon. Look for him to post one of the highest relative athletic scores (RAS) at his position.
Film evaluation
Umanmielen is a departure from what fans have seen from recent Kansas City pass rushers like Chris Jones and George Karlaftis, who win with hand-fighting and power. Instead, Umanmielen relies primarily on his speed and agility to get to the quarterback. He does not have very active hands — and due to his lack of power, only rarely lines up with his hand in the dirt. He prefers to rush from a wide upright position, where his quick first step and lateral movement is put to good use getting leverage as he bends around the end.
Princely Umanmielen has a crazy ability to bend at the top of the rush for a guy that’s 6’4″
Insane ankle flexibility.
Great burst off the line, ability to flatten & maintain speed as he corners & accelerate to close on the QB. pic.twitter.com/fNbpPOgC4f
— Nick Waters (@Philly_Films) February 26, 2025
Umanmielen says he models his game on the Buffalo Bills’ (and former Denver Broncos’) pass rusher Von Miller.
Princely Umanmielen has some absolutely compelling pass rush snaps on his resume, especially on big downs. But some of his effort is at times laughable. This isn’t a rarity in his film, especially during his time at Florida. pic.twitter.com/S2l1HYUTW5
— Simon Clancy (@SiClancy) February 23, 2025
While there were questions about his effort and motor during his time at Florida, Umanmielen’s tape from Ole Miss shows that his effort has improved enough that I would no longer consider it an issue like we see in this clip.
Thanks to his athleticism, Umanmielen has the speed and range to chase down (and contain) mobile quarterbacks. He also has one of the nastiest spin moves you will ever see from a player his size. He uses it to roll off the offensive tackles so he can take an inside lane to the quarterback without downshifting.
Still, his lack of strength sometimes makes him struggle to get off blocks. He also needs to improve his discipline while containing running backs coming around the edge.
How he fits with the Chiefs
If the Philadelphia Eagles showed us anything in Super Bowl LIX, it’s that you can never have too many pass rushers — and that they come in all shapes and sizes. While I don’t think Umanmielen will be a three-down player right off the bat, he will be a dangerous weapon on passing downs. And while he lacks some strength at the point of attack, he is stronger than a player like Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
The bottom line
Having an elite pass rush helps every part of a defense. It can get in a quarterback’s head and dictate the game’s tempo. Pairing Umanmielen with players like Jones and Karlaftis would add elite athleticism to the dynamic of Kansas City’s pass rush. On my big board, I have Umanmielen being taken between the 40th and 65th pick.
