Notre Dame’s Rylie Mills confident play will speak for itself at NFL Combine

INDIANAPOLIS – When Rylie Mills stepped up to his table to speak with reporters Wednesday morning inside the Indiana Convention Center at the NFL Combine, it wasn’t exactly the way Mills hoped his path to the NFL would unfold.

Mills entered the combine a little over two months after he tore his ACL against Indiana in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Although he’s back to walking without crutches, Mills won’t show off his athleticism on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium this week as many of the top college prospects try to impress NFL teams.

But that didn’t bother Mills. After five years at Notre Dame, Mills was confident he showed enough to reach the NFL.

“I think for me what really matters is the tape,” Mills, a 2020 Lake Forest alumnus, said, “and if you watch my tape, I think my production and what I achieved on the field will speak for itself.”

Mills made a strong case for himself during the Fighting Irish’s run to the CFP national championship game. His 6-foot-5, 295-pound frame became too much for offensive lines to stop as Mills created steady pressure from the middle of Notre Dame’s defensive line.

The defensive tackle led the team with 7.5 sacks, three more than Donovan Hinish, who finished second on the team, despite missing the final three games of the season. Mills tore his ACL on a sack against the Hoosiers.

He also led the team with 7.5 tackles for loss and finished the year with 37 tackles.

Fellow Fighting Irish defensive lineman Howard Cross said Mills knew how to turn it on when it came time to compete. He was confident he’ll bring that over to the NFL.

“He’s going to be fantastic,” Cross said. “I can’t wait to see what he does.”

Mills has tried to stay connected to football as much as he could since his injury. He told reporters Wednesday that he, his girlfriend, his parents and his uncle all drove down to the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida, in a recreational vehicle a week after his surgery so he could be at the game.

His teammates have also video-called him into postgame celebrations during their playoff run.

To make up for his absence from the workouts, Mills watched plenty of tape to prepare for this week’s combine. He called the interviews he’ll have with teams this week his Super Bowl.

“I think for me what really matters is the tape and if you watch my tape, I think my production and what I achieved on the field will speak for itself.”

—  Rylie Mills, Lake Forest alumnus

Mills dedicated the past couple of months to watching tape of every single NFL team’s defensive lines. In his studies, he learned more about their specific scheme and how they like to play defense. Mills also looked into any possible free agent openings a team might have.

“I think just showing my knowledge for the game and that I’m someone who understands the whole defense,” Mills said. “I’m pretty much NFL-ready when it comes to the playbook, so I just try to showcase that and put my best foot forward.”

He’s hoping to showcase what he can on the field as soon as possible. Mills estimated that he should be ready to go at 100% for training camp but said he’ll leave any timeline up to his future team.

Mills also hasn’t ruled out the possibility of coming back home and playing for the Chicago Bears. General manager Ryan Poles will likely try to add on to his team’s defensive line and has added Chicago-area prospects to the roster since he took over.

For Mills, it would be a perfect fit.

“I’d love to help the team and go out and contribute,” Mills said. “For me it’s like, look I know I’m rehabbing this right now, but if you can just look at the level of player you’re going to get, it’ll be fresh legs, so hopefully we get to that postseason soon.”

• Reporter Sean Hammond contributed to this report