One thing that became clear during his long run in the NFL is that Dennis Allen has a good eye for edge rushers. He was with the Broncos and Raiders when they drafted Von Miller and Khalil Mack, respectively. Then, in New Orleans, he played a key role in the drafting of Trey Hendrickson. One can imagine he already has been doing research on the 2025 draft class with the anticipation of landing a defensive coordinator job somewhere. It can’t be a coincidence that a prominent name surfaced right after Allen was hired.
According to Jordan Sigler of ChiCity Sports, the Bears have kept close tabs on Ole Miss edge rusher Princely Umanmielen, recently meeting him at the Senior Bowl.
Ole Miss defensive end Princely Umanmielen has been a standout during practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. The six-foot-five, 255-pound pass rusher has shown great technique in getting past offensive tackles this week.
Umanmielen confirmed to CCS that he met with the Bears in Mobile. The native of Manor, Texas, said his meeting with Chicago went well.
Umanmielen prefers to play defensive end but said he believes he has the versatility to play defensive tackle in certain packages. (The Bears used DeMarcus Walker in that role in former head coach Matt Eberflus’ system.)
This stands out for a couple of reasons.
People will argue teams meet with every prospect at the Senior Bowl. How is Umanmielen different? For one, he meets the exact criteria Allen prefers in edge rushers. He’s big, long, explosive, and was highly productive in college. Most pass rushers taken during his stints as a coordinator or head coach had at least 20 sacks in college. Umanmielen had 25.5.
Dennis Allen already has extensive info on Umanmielen.
How? Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter was teammates with him for three years at Florida. The two were close. It is likely the team scouts and new coaches have already gotten a detailed description of the type of player Umanmielen is. He’s earned comparisons to names like Danielle Hunter, Brian Burns, and Arnold Ebiketie. Allen went against Ebiketie and the Falcons for three years while head coach of the Saints. So if he sees the same traits in Umanmielen, it would further explain the Bears’ interest.
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Initial projections had him going in the 2nd round this April, but it’s possible a strong showing at the Senior Bowl and good athletic testing at the scouting combine will push him into the 1st round. Could he be an option for the Bears at #10? Some will argue that is too early. However, his physical talent and productivity warrant a conversation. If Dennis Allen believes he can help transform the defense into a juggernaut, then there is every reason to consider that possibility.
I could see him being a 2nd round pick. They say he’s big? 255. To me that’s linebacker big. DEs should 275. That’s the size guys need to be to set an edge. Most guys at 255 going against a tackle at 310 get manhandled. Thinking most top DEs are 275+. We picked Booker last year at 250 lbs and they say he needs to get bigger. He got handled on the edge. Speed is one thing but we were getting pushed around in the run game. The North division has some good RBs we need to stop.
MG, the only knock I have on Jeanty is the 374 carries he had last year. I’m not a huge fan of guys working on their 40 times for 3 months going into the draft. I think a lot of rookies suffer for it, with hamstring issues their first year. I’m not totally convinced that didn’t impact Kevin White’s stress fracture.
If D Allen wants this kid, R Poles will do everything he can to insure he is a Bear. But, I don’t see any DE or OT drafted by the Bears in the first round short of one of the top 1 or 2 falling to them inexplicably. I believe at #10 if Jeanty is there as many believe, B Johnson will have R Poles running to the podium to draft him. A RB as talented as Jeanty is your QB’s best friend and his best weapon rolled into one, and as Jeanty is supposedly a decent blocker, it almost… Read more »
Hey Slip, I appreciate your post. It’s way better than the white noise from above referring to a controversial coaching hire, then a f/u post explaining why it’s not a controversial hire. JMHO, it’s the back half of the first round where you can impact your roster the most regarding “bang for your buck”. Philly and Baltimore feast in this region every year. It’s locking in a quality player for that 5th year at an already slotted price and avoiding contract negotiations for big 2nd contract money. I’m not so sure “high impact” necessarily has to come from the DE… Read more »
I’ve mocked him to the Bears in the second round, I’m not sure he makes it there. If he does, really hope we draft him. Also completely fine trading back in the first and targeting him.