2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Notre Dame DL Rylie Mills

From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, Day 3 selections, or priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Notre Dame DL Rylie Mills.

NO. 99 RYLIE MILLS, DL, NOTRE DAME (R-SENIOR) — 6050, 295 POUNDS

MEASUREMENTS

THE GOOD

— Has the height, length, and size profile you want in the position
— Good athlete who can run down ball carriers in the open field
— Played up-and-down the line of scrimmage for Notre Dame
— Displays a strong long arm move and bull rush as a pass rusher
— Can swim, rip, and use the hump move to vary his pass rush
— Size and long arms allow him to establish first contact and control blockers
— Does a great job flowing to gaps to stuff the run
— Can stack and shed blockers to make plays in gaps against the run
— Plays with a great motor to get after the quarterback
— Dangerous on twists and stunts to use his size and athleticism to wreak havoc up front
— Experienced starter who has improved every season

THE BAD

— Could stand to add more bulk to his frame
— Play strength can be inconsistent from play to play
— Plays upright too often, needing to maintain better leverage
— Can get caught off-balance when blockers get into his chest
— Exposes his chest to blockers far too often
— Will struggle to fight off blocks when blockers establish first contact
— Coming off a season-ending knee injury suffered late in the season

BIO

— Redshirt senior prospect from Lake Forest, IL
— A four-star recruit by Rivals
— Posted 45 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and five sacks in seven games as a senior
— Also participated in track and field, competing in the shot put and discus
— Threw the first pitch for his hometown Chicago White Sox against the Pittsburgh Pirates this past summer
— Played in nine games in 2020 with one start and made seven total tackles (two solo), two tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks
— Played in 13 games in 2021 and posted 16 total tackles (eight solo), three tackles for loss, and three sacks
— Played and started 13 games in 2022 and posted 24 total tackles (eight solo), six tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks
— Played and started 13 games in 2023 and had 47 total tackles (22 solo), six tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries
— Played and started 13 games in 2024 and posted 37 total tackles (19 solo), nine tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks
— Suffered a season-ending knee injury against Indiana in the CFP first round, requiring surgery
— ESPN 2nd-Team All-American (2024), Team Captain (2024)

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Rylie Mills spent his time developing as a player for the Fighting Irish, and those first four years at Notre Dame paid off in a big way in 2024. The 6-5, 295-pound redshirt senior had a strong 2024 campaign, tallying nine tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks to help the Fighting Irish make the College Football Playoff before exiting in the first round due to a season-ending knee injury.

When you pop in the tape on Mills, you see a big, long, athletic defensive lineman built the way the Pittsburgh Steelers like them. Alex Kozora did a way-too-early piece on Mills back in June, pointing to the fence on a prospect that is going to check a lot of boxes that Pittsburgh looks for in their traditional 3-4 defensive ends.

Mills possesses the size and arm length to control blockers at the point of attack, being able to land his hands on their chest to stack and shed blocks against the run. Watch the clip below against Indiana to see Mills quickly get hands on the right guard on the snap, then sit in to see where the running back is going, proceeding to rip off the block and make the tackle.

With his size and length, Mills can long-arm opponents both as a run defender and pass rusher. Watch the clip below against Texas A&M as Mills gets his hands on the left tackle and proceeds to stick his right arm through the blocker’s left shoulder, jolting him back, and then sheds the block to get in on the tackle attempt to his left near the line of scrimmage.

Mills has an impressive motor as a defensive lineman, and that, paired with his tool kit as a pass rusher, makes him an effective inside rusher for a defense. He has shown that he can execute the swim, rip, and hump move as well as rush with straight power. Watch the clips of Mills below win on two stunts against Stanford and Georgia Tech, respectively, using his combination of size, length, and athleticism to fight through/around the block and into the lap of the quarterback.

While Mills possesses the frame you want to see in an interior defensive lineman, his pad level and play strength are often the traits that can get him into trouble. He often exposes his chest to blockers by getting upright, allowing blockers to neutralize him and even knock him over, as you see in the clip below against the Aggies.

Mills can be effective on his bull rush, but he occasionally plays too far over his toes, leading to a lack of balance, as you can see in the clip below, where the blocker snatch-traps Mills and puts him on the ground.

CONCLUSION

Rylie Mills is a well-built defensive lineman with the athletic traits and experience to become a quality player at the next level. He needs to improve his playing technique as well as add a little more functional mass and strength onto his frame. Still, teams love defenders who bring a combination of measurables and athletic traits to the table. With Mills’ pass rush production, he should be a prospect that generates a fair amount of attention in the middle rounds of the draft despite the knee injury.

When coming up with a pro comp for Mills, John Cominsky of the Detroit Lions comes to mind as a comparable player from a measurables perspective (6-5, 285 pounds) and from a plus athleticism standpoint relative to that size. Cominsky was drafted in the fourth round back in 2019 and has become a quality rotational player/spot starter for Detroit, a similar role I foresee Mills having in the league.

The Pittsburgh Steelers need to address the defensive line in the draft, but Mills’ knee injury will likely suppress his draft stock. If Pittsburgh were to wait and get good medicals on Mills during the Combine, he could be an option to target later if they don’t go defensive line in Round 1. Even if Pittsburgh does draft a defensive lineman early, double-dipping with Mills wouldn’t be the worst idea given their need and the clear fit.

Projection: Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 7.9 MED— Potential Starter/Good Backup (Third Round)
Games Watched: at Texas A&M (2024), at Georgia Tech (2024), vs. Stanford (2024)