2021 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Davis Mills

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Davis Mills, 6-4/217 Quarterback Stanford

Davis Mills Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Quality mechanics

Smooth delivery

Good size

Quality arm

Stands tall in pocket

Can work off first read, but developing

Lofts ball well

Throws a catchable ball

Able to loft in touch passes

Stands tall in the pocket

Good timing

Shows anticipation

Quality decision-maker

Pocket composure

Good fit in a West Coast offense

Weaknesses:

Quality arm strength, but not elite

Not a running threat, lacks mobility

Ball placement needs improvement

Spotty field vision

Needs to speed up the process

Limited experience

Summary: Mills was a star recruit coming out Georgia and ended up at Stanford. After a redshirt 2018 season, Mills took over in 2019 once K.J. Costello was injured. That season, Mills completed 66 percent of his passes for 1,960 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. He was then the full-time starter in 2020, but he was also limited by the shortened Pac-12 season. He completed 66 percent of his passes on the year for 1,508 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions.

Mills has traits that project to him having the ability to develop into a NFL starter. He has good size and a quality arm that help him perform in the pocket, where he will stand tall and deliver the ball with solid mechanics. Mills has nice footwork while showing a smooth delivery and release. That combination leads to Mills throwing a very catchable ball and having the ability to loft in touch passes down field. With nice timing and anticipation, Mills can beat good coverage by dropping in passes to his receivers. He showed reliable decision-making and ball security at Stanford.



The NFL is trending towardsquarterbacks with running ability and athleticism, but Mills does not fit that trend. While he isn’t a statue, he is not a running threat and will not be a quarterback who has frustrating mobility. Mills still needs to improve his ball placement and has spotty field vision. At times, he scans the field, and at other times, he struggles to get beyond his first read. Mills needs to speed up the process and get faster at working through his progressions.

As a football player, there is no doubt that Mills needs development, and starting only 11 games in college has slowed down his maturation. Mills should have gone back to school to get more playing experience before moving on to the NFL, but he decided to enter the 2021 NFL Draft. Mills could start out as a backup in the NFL, but he possesses the physical talent to develop into a pro starter. He has a shot at being a second-day pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and could be a mid-rounder.



Player Comparison: Andy Dalton. In terms of skill set and playing style, Mills reminds me of Dalton. If Mills turns into a solid backup or starter, he could be a Dalton-style quarterback.

2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville Jhamon Ausbon, WR, Texas A&M Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama Carlos Basham, DE, Wake Forest Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas Jabril Cox, LB, LSU Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Paris Ford, S, Pittsburgh Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State Kenny Gainwell, RB, Memphis Richie Grant, S, Central Florida Najee Harris, RB, Alabama Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State Trey Hill, C, Georgia Jevon Holland, S, Oregon Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State Mac Jones, QB, Alabama Patrick Jones, DE, Pittsburgh Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama Walker Little, OT, Stanford Hunter Long, TE, Boston College Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan Tre' McKitty, TE, Georgia Davis Mills, QB, Stanford Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU Elijah Molden, CB, Washington Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M Dan Moore Jr., OT, Texas A&M Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina Jamie Newman, QB, Wake Forest Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA Azeez Ojulari, LB, Georgia Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington Joseph Ossai, LB, Texas Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah, LB, Notre Dame Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan Ronnie Perkins, OLB, Oklahoma Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota Aaron Robinson, CB, Central Florida Quincy Roche, OLB, Miami Larry Rountree, RB, Missouri Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU Rashawn Slater, C, Northwestern DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama D'Ante Smith, OT, East Carolina Trey Smith, G, Tennessee Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida Kyle Trask, QB, Florida Joe Tryon, DE, Washington Jay Tufele, DT, USC Payton Turner, DE, Houston T.J. Vasher, WR, Texas Tech Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State Rashad Weaver, DE, Pittsburgh Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina Rodarius Williams, CB, Oklahoma State Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

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