Dawgs By Nature
If the Browns decide to wait on selecting a DE, Princely Umanmielen could be a name to watch in the later rounds.
The Cleveland Browns are selecting a quarterback with their first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Everyone knows that.
Unless, of course, they opt for Colorado’s Travis Hunter and then spend the summer deciding if he is better suited to be a wide receiver, a cornerback, or both.
However, general manager Andrew Berry may decide to hold off on a quarterback and select Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter to pair with Myles Garrett in a doomsday scenario for opposing quarterbacks.
But let’s go with Berry filling the quarterback position first and then worrying about defensive end in the later rounds. In that case, a name to keep an eye on could be Princely Umanmielen from the University of Mississippi.
Name: Princely Umanmielen
Position: Defensive end
Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 244 pounds
College: University of Mississippi
2024 stats: 12 games, 19 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks
Career stats: 57 games, 67 tackles, 40 tackles for loss, 25.5 sacks
Relative Athletic Score: 8.9 out of 10, which ranks him No. 203 out of 1,829 defensive ends from 1987 to 2025.
Average “Big Board” Position as of Publishing Date from Mock Draft Database: 66th overall/third-round selection
The Draft Network’s Grade/Round Value: Day 2 - Adequate starter
What an Expert is Saying
Lance Zierlein at NFL.com:
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.
What an Expert is Saying (Bonus Round):
At just over 6-foot-3 and around 255 pounds, Umanmielen wins with a very impressive first step with some top-tier flexibility and bend. This lends itself to a dip and rip around the outside shoulder and an inside spin move to switch it up — he does both at an NFL level. He also has the ability to cross the face of offensive linemen with a nice hesitation move.
The rest of his game, however, is a bit erratic. His footwork could be cleaned up. His hands can be fast, but he doesn’t use them in a timely manner to keep himself clean when he isn’t executing one of his top two moves. He also stays blocked too long. He can be off balance and plays on the ground a bit too much. Though his run-defense grade is strong, that is more from a...
