Rylie Mills, Notre Dame: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Mills was a four-star recruit from Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest, Ill. in the class of 2020

Notre Dame defensive tackle Rylie Mills flashed over the past several seasons but never really took the next step in his development. A recently torn ACL puts him in trouble of falling into the fifth round or later because of the depth along the defensive interior in the 2025 NFL Draft.

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Rylie Mills, IDL Notre Dame: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth-year defensive tackle from Lake Bluff, Ill.

Background: Mills was a four-star recruit from Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest, Ill. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 159 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 155 for Rivals, and No. 216 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 141st in the nation with an 83 grade out of 100. In seven games as a high school senior, Mills amassed 45 tackles, including 14 for loss with five sacks. According to MaxPreps, he totaled 30 tackles, including 17 for loss with three sacks, in seven games as a junior. Mills was a member of the 2019 News-Gazette All-State Team. He also competed in shot put and discus for the track and field team. Mills was born on Aug. 20, 2001.

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a torn ACL vs. Indiana (2024)

Awards: 2024 Second Team All-American (ESPN, Sporting News), 2024 Team Captain

Pros: Freaks List inclusion, core strength, quick first step, pries up the offensive lineman’s pad level, heavy hands, two-handed swipes, swim move, club, push-pull, spin counter, long-arm move, some flashes of speed to power, works swim counter off bull rush, attacks the offensive lineman’s hands, good lateral cut off swipe to capture the guard’s shoulder, flashes of knockback, maximizes length in stack and shed opportunities, stacks blocks with a long arm, active hands help with quick separation from blocks, good gap integrity taking on solo blocks, tilts shoulder and gets upfield to challenge angle blocks, pursuit to attack and shut down screens, significant hustle plays, motor runs hot at all times, football IQ

Cons: Penalized four times in 2024, age, suffered a torn ACL in CFP, sub-33-inch arms, high-hipped, tall player with limited density, not a dynamic athlete, pad level pops up, long legs make the leverage battle difficult, pad level exposes his ribs, inconsistent deployment of pass rush plan, hip stiffness limits bend, offers nothing against double teams, displaced downfield by duo blocks, washed out of his gap by double teams

Overview: Mills achieved most of his college success playing 2 and 3-tech with a sprinkling of snaps at 4 and 5-tech. He didn’t test at the NFL Scouting Combine because of a recently torn ACL, but, according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, Mills benches 445 lbs., squats 580 lbs., and jumps 32-inches in the vertical and nine feet in the broad. He’s also been clocked at between 19 and 20.6 miles per hour over the past three years. Mills is an older prospect who might have to redshirt because of his ACL injury. His arms only measured 32 5/8 inches at the Combine and 32 6/8 at his pro day. The Illinois native is a tall, high-hipped prospect who lacks ideal density and bend. He gets off the line with a quick first step before deploying his heavy hands. Mills’ hand placement and powerful mitts mitigate some of the issues with his length because he establishes leverage and pries up the offensive player’s pad level. His long legs and high hips cause his pad level to rise quickly, but this forced him to develop a powerful core capable of generating impressive torque and rotational force. Mills’ pass rush plan includes clubs, long-arms, push-pulls, swims, two-handed swipes, and flashes of speed to power. He also incorporates spin and swim counters. The fifth-year prospect has the strong foundation of a pass rush plan but needs to incorporate it more consistently into his game. He spends too many plays freelancing or relying strictly on power. Mills isn’t a dynamic athlete, but he’s very technically polished. He targets the offensive lineman’s hands with precise strikes, softens the lineman’s shoulders throughout the play, and weaponizes angles to put blockers at a disadvantage. Mills struggles to anchor in the run game when faced with double teams or angle blocks, but he creates some real headaches for offenses. The knockback in his hands drives guards into the backfield, and he displays good gap integrity when isolated with linemen. Despite his short arms, Mills generally avoids struggles with stacking and shedding blocks. His play recognition and football IQ help guide him to the football. His recognition of angle blocks helps him defeat some by adjusting the angle of his shoulder to maintain inside leverage and beat the blocker upfield. Mills is a high character prospect with a relentless motor to pursue screens and wide zone runs.

Overall, Mills’ height and lack of ideal density, twitch, and arm length create some significant physical limitations. His technical development, especially his hand usage, evens the playing field against more gifted prospects. Once healthy, Mills projects as a second string 3-4 defensive end who primarily sees the field on passing downs. He could play 3-tech if he added 25 lbs., but that seems unlikely considering his injury.

Role & Scheme Fit: Rotational 3-tech or 3-4 defensive end

Round Grade: Late Fourth to Mid Fifth Round

Size: 6'5 3/8", 291 lbs. (NFL Combine)

Submitted: 01-25-25