Rylie Mills DL Notre Dame | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Rylie Mills DL Notre Dame
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.79 seconds (79%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | |
| Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 4.79 seconds (79%*) | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 82.9 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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79% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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82% |
| Pass Rush: |
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90% |
| Run Defense: |
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70% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
4th
Overall Rank:
#135
Position rank:
#33
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| College Games: 61 College Snaps: 1866 | ||
ESPN RATING: 83/100
College Combine Results
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OVR Rank:
#141
Pos Rank:
#15
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 93/100
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| Ovr Rank: #12 Pos Rank: #5 | ||
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RIVALS RATING: 5.8 (95%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Keion White - Georgia Tech |
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73% |
| Zacch Pickens - South Carolina |
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70% |
| Isaiah McGuire - Missouri |
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66% |
Draft Profile: Bio
The Fighting Irish's Rylie Mills has steadily climbed from rotational piece to defensive cornerstone during his time in South Bend. The Lake Forest, Illinois native arrived at Notre Dame as a highly-touted four-star recruit in 2020 and immediately found himself in the rotation, appearing in nine games and even drawing a start against Alabama in the College Football Playoff as a freshman.Mills truly found his footing during his junior campaign before exploding onto the national radar as a senior in 2023, starting all 13 games while recording 47 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. The defensive lineman's trajectory continued upward in 2024 as a team captain, where his disruptive presence earned him Second Team All-American honors from both ESPN and Sporting News. His ability to generate interior pressure was highlighted by a career-best three-sack performance against Florida State, showcasing the pass rush upside that has scouts intrigued.
What separates Mills from other prospects is his rare blend of size and movement skills. Standing 6'5" and weighing 291 pounds, he earned the No. 10 spot on Bruce Feldman's prestigious "Freaks List" and backed it up with eye-popping measurables including a 4.79 40-yard dash. The combination of his physical tools, production growth, and technical refinement culminated in a senior season that saw him rack up 7.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss before suffering a season-ending ACL tear in the College Football Playoff against Indiana—a setback that showcases another side of Mills' character as he rented an RV and drove 24 hours to Miami just to support his teammates during their championship run.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Exceptional athleticism for his size, with a 4.79 40-yard dash time that puts him in the 79th percentile among defensive linemen
- Shows exceptional lower half stability when properly leveraged, anchoring against drive blocks with powerful base and maintaining gap integrity through contact.
- Transitions from run defender to pass rusher with impressive fluidity, recognizing blocking schemes quickly and adapting his approach mid-snap.
- Possesses legitimate scheme versatility with experience at multiple techniques, looking equally comfortable as a 3-4 end or working inside in four-man fronts.
- Delivers sustained power throughout reps, maintaining push even when initially stonewalled and showing the ability to restart his rush through contact.
- Uses his length masterfully in the run game, creating separation that allows him to locate ball carriers while engaged with blockers.
- Brings a calculating approach to stunts and twists, timing his movements precisely and exploding through created lanes with bad intentions.
- Motor runs hot regardless of game situation, showing relentless backside pursuit and giving second and third efforts when initial rush stalls.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- December 2024 ACL tear against Indiana will likely sideline him through rookie training camp and potentially into the regular season, delaying his NFL impact.
- Lacks elite twitch to threaten edges consistently, resulting in pass rush wins that come more from persistence than explosive first-step advantages.
- Post-ACL explosion and change of direction ability remains a significant question mark until he can demonstrate full recovery on the field.
- Knee bend deteriorates through extended series, causing him to play too upright and making him vulnerable against reach blocks and angle-driven schemes.
- Pass rush arsenal remains more theoretical than practical, flashing counters but rarely stringing moves together into cohesive sequences that maximize his tools.
Scouting Report: Summary
Mills brings a toolbox that clearly tilts toward disruption rather than pure anchor strength. His film shows a defender who attacks with violence in the passing game while displaying adequate but inconsistent play against the run. This disparity in performance creates a natural projection as a rotational player who can earn early downs through technical development while immediately contributing in pass rush packages. His combination of length, hand usage, and football IQ compensates for athletic limitations that might otherwise cap his ceiling.The December ACL tear complicates his immediate impact timeline but doesn't fundamentally alter his long-term outlook. Physical setbacks aside, Mills has demonstrated the mental approach and work ethic needed to maximize his recovery period. Teams employing multiple front looks will find particular value in his positional flexibility—a player capable of lining up anywhere from 3-technique to 5-technique depending on down, distance, and defensive call. His occasional flashes of dominance suggest untapped potential that proper coaching could unlock consistently.
Defensive fronts across the league are increasingly emphasizing versatility and multiplicity—precisely the attributes Mills offers when healthy. Teams willing to exercise patience during his rehabilitation will find a technically sound defender whose strengths align with modern defensive principles and whose makeup suggests he'll extract every ounce of potential from his physical gifts.
Written By:
K.C. Martinez (IND-FBS)
Rylie Mills percentiles vs other Defensive Lines (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Rylie Mills (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
132.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
43.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.