The Las Vegas Raiders boast one of the best pass rushers in football in Maxx Crosby, but they could definitely afford to add some help alongside of him.
Will the Raiders prioritize bringing in another edge rusher this offseason?
They should, as Malcolm Koonce—who missed all of 2024—is a free agent and may very well walk, and breakout defensive end K'Lavon Chaisson is also slated to hit the open market.
As you can see, Las Vegas needs assistance, so it should come as no surprise that Pro Football Network is expecting the Raiders to land a pass rusher in the NFL Draft.
In its most recent mock draft, Pro Football Network is predicting Las Vegas to select Mississippi Rebels star Princely Umanmielen in he second round this April.
"Princely Umanmielen is a 50 Cent and Eminem collaboration. We’ve been patiently waiting for him to explode for the better part of three years, and he finally flipped the switch late in his collegiate career," PFN wrote. "Umanmielen always had the bend and explosiveness to be a problem, but his pass rush plan always lacked. However, the well-proportioned pass rusher seemed to finally get into a groove late in college, and pairing him with Crosby could lead to beautiful results in Las Vegas if he develops further."
Umanmielen is coming off of a spectacular 2024 campaign in which he racked up 37 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks.
The 22-year-old spent the first four years of his collegiate career at Florida before transferring to Ole Miss ahead of the 2024 season.
Umanmielen's production did ramp up over his final couple of years with the Gators, as he tallied 39 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 2022 and concluded his tenure in Gainesville by rattling off 39 stops, 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 2023.
The 6-foot-4, 255-pound defender is a freakish athlete with terrific burst off the edge. He should be able to comprise a rather lethal duo with Crosby along the Raiders' defensive front, so if Umanmielen is available when Las Vegas picks in Round 2, it may want to seriously consider bagging him.
-1737260439-q80.webp "Two Broncos Sleepers Poised for New Starting Role in 2025")
