As much talk as there’s been about the potential fit for Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku with the Bucs in the first round of the 2025 Draft, the team is certainly casting a wide net in its approach to find another talented pass rusher to add to the mix in 2025.

Just after it was reported that UCLA outside linebacker Femi Oladejo will soon be heading to Tampa for a Top 30 visit with the Bucs, another intriguing pass rushing prospect mentioned Tampa Bay as one of the teams that has shown him the most interest throughout the pre-draft process.

That was Ole Miss’ Princely Umanmielen, who said as much on SEC Network during coverage of the Rebels’ Pro Day. Joining the Bucs on the list of teams he said have been most interested in him are two NFC South rivals, the Falcons and Panthers, as well as the Packers.

Ole Miss OLB Princely Umanmielen – Photo by: USA Today

Umanmielen met formally with the Bucs at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, joining six other outside linebackers – including Ezeiruaku and Oladejo.

Umanmielen has great length at 6-foot-4, and his 4.72-second 40-yard dash placed him among the Top 10 for edge rushers at the Combine. What stands out most about the soon-to-be 23-year-old is the production he posted in his final season at the collegiate level. After posting 15 sacks over four years at Florida, he transferred to Ole Miss in 2024 and finished the campaign with 10.5 sacks, giving him 25.5 over his five-year career in college.

There’s reason to believe that type of production will translate to the NFL, especially as he continues to ascend. There’s room for him to grow in terms of his play strength and ability to set the edge, but it’s not hard to see why the likes of Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Carolina and Green Bay – all teams that could use improved pass rush in 2025 – have taken an interest in him.

Princely Umanmielen Projects As A Day 2 Option For The Bucs

Ole Miss EDGE Princely Umanmielen Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs very much have their options open heading into April’s NFL Draft. They signed Haason Reddick to a one-year deal in free agency, but the length of that contract and the state of the outside linebacker room in general won’t stop Tampa Bay from drafting at that position with the No. 19 pick in the first round.

However, if the team does opt to pick a cornerback, inside linebacker, safety, defensive tackle or go off the wall and draft offense at No. 19, there are worthwhile prospects at the EDGE position later in the draft.

Oladejo is one of them, as he projects as a later Day 2 pick. He’s currently No. 89 on Mock Draft Database’s Consensus Big Board. Interestingly enough, Tampa Bay’s third-round pick is at No. 84.

As for Princely Umanmielen, the consensus big board has him at No. 58. The Bucs’ second-round pick is No. 53, so there’s a bit of an interesting parallel between the perceived values of Oladejo and Umanmielen and where Tampa Bay picks in the second and third rounds, respectively.

If the Bucs decide to go either route, it’ll set them up with a unique mix of veteran talent and young potential at the outside linebacker position. As it stands right now, the starting defense will feature an ascending talent in Yaya Diaby and an established veteran in Reddick. The rest of the room consists of a reliable veteran in Anthony Nelson, as well as 2024 second-round pick Chris Braswell.

So, add in another early-round pass rusher to round out the room and the Bucs would find themselves in a better spot than they were in last year with the outside linebacker room.