2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report - Rylie Mills

Rylie Mills

Position: Defensive Interior - DT3

College: Notre Dame

Height: 6' 5"

Weight: 295 lbs

Class: RS Senior

Newt Westen

We are starting the scouting report series with a true "my guy". Rylie Mills is a captain on the nationally ranked Fighting Irish Defense. He is a 2+ year starter with over 1,800 snaps logged on defense over his 5-year career at Notre Dame. Mills has seen the bulk of his work at 3-technique and shows the ability to be a 3-4 DE or 4-3 DT.

Mills is a pass rush specialist and has been a rising star amongst Notre Dame's front 7 as he comes into Thanksgiving dinner with 7 sacks, 30 total pressures, and a missed tackle rate of only 4% per PFF. Mills has the length and athleticism to be consistently disruptive along the defensive line and the experience and technical refinement to make the most of every rep that he takes.

While he is a game wrecker on passing downs he does need to improve his run defense and be more reliable to generate stops on early downs. Currently, with a 5.1 run stop rate and 3.0 yard ADOT per PFF he is one of the lower-ranking interior defenders on most draft boards. He shows the need for continued coaching at the next level to improve gap discipline and body control at the point of attack.

If Mills can clean up those aspects he is undoubtedly going to be one of the biggest steals of the draft. On most draft rankings Mills is flying under the radar and can be seen with a 5th-round grade. Don't be surprised to see his high character, IQ, and athleticism cause him to rise throughout the pre-draft process.

Grade: Late 2nd/Early 3rd

Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) celebrates after a play against Southern California on Oct. 14. (Chad Weaver/Blue & Gold)