Injuries happen. The timing of a specific injury can be critical, though.

Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills had been piecing together the best season of his collegiate career until he suffered a knee injury that prevented him from playing throughout the College Football Playoff.

The 6’5″, 295-pound graduate student posted a team-leading 8.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He became a force in the middle of Notre Dame’s defense, providing power at the point of attack, length to win matchups against interior blockers and enough upfield ability to disrupt opposing offenses.

Unfortunately, Mills left in the second half of Notre Dame’s opening-round contest against the Indiana Hoosiers before the team announced he was done for the season. The defensive tackle has been seen on crutches during the rest of the Fighting Irish’s postseason run.

Considering how late in the season the injury occurred, Mills’ predraft evaluation will be heavily based on medical check-ups during the NFL combine and subsequent recheck. If the unspecified issue is considered a significant issue, Mills may see his draft stock fall all of the way into the event’s third day.