Seahawks to meet with disruptive All-SEC edge rusher with 25+ sacks

With Boye Mafe, Derick Hall and the newly-acquired DeMarcus Lawrence in the fold, edge rusher likely isn't too much of a concern for the Seattle Seahawks right now.

Can there ever really be too much of a good thing, though?

Getting to the quarterback is a top priority in the modern NFL, and while the Seahawks' pass rush is good, it's not one of the absolute best in the league. Head coach Mike Macdonald is a defensive mastermind, so it's very plausible that he wants the absolute best for his defense.

As such, the Seahawks are doing their due diligence on pass rushers in this year's draft. The latest they have their eye on is Ole Miss' Princely Umanmielen, who they will reportedly host for a visit before the draft, per KPRC's Aaron Wilson.

Ole Miss Rebels defensive linemen Princely Umanmielen lines up before the snap against the Kentucky Wildcats. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Hailing from Manor, Texas, Umanmielen made a huge impact in his lone season at Ole Miss, recording 10.5 sacks and earning a first-team All-SEC selection. Before that, he had 15 sacks in four seasons at Florida.

At the combine, Umanmielan recorded a 4.72-second 40-yard dash, a 38-inch vertical leap, and and a 10-foot-6 inch vertical leap. He's a very solid athlete, even if he has some work to do on his fundamentals.

"Finesse edge defender with traits, athleticism and upside to have his sack production translate to the NFL," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote in his scouting report. "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."

Umanmeilen projects as a second- or third-round pick, and with four picks on Day 2, the Seahawks should have plenty of chances to snag him if they want him.

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