Player
Davis Mills
QB
Completion rate is the fastest signal of a rookie QB's accuracy and processing speed. A 3rd-round developmental pick finishing ahead of the #1 overall pick in ball placement exposes how badly Lawrence's first year went — and reveals Mills was quietly the class's most accurate passer.
As a 2021 rookie 3rd-rounder, Davis Mills posted the 2nd-best completion % among ALL six 2021 rookie QBs — ahead of Trevor Lawrence.
Anomaly2021 rookie QB accuracy comparison
| QB | Pick | Comp% | Att |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mac Jones | #15 | 67.6% | 521 |
| Davis Mills | #67 | 66.8% | 394 |
| Justin Fields | #11 | 58.9% | 270 |
| Trey Lance | #3 | 57.7% | 71 |
| Trevor Lawrence | #1 | 59.6% | 602 |
| Zach Wilson | #2 | 55.6% | 383 |
Why it matters. Completion rate is the fastest signal of a rookie QB's accuracy and processing speed. A 3rd-round developmental pick finishing ahead of the #1 overall pick in ball placement exposes how badly Lawrence's first year went — and reveals Mills was quietly the class's most accurate passer.
Mills' 2025 spot-start run: 5-1 record, 856 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT in 4 meaningful appearances after missing 2 years of relevance.
SplitMills 2025 meaningful appearances
| Wk | Opp | Yds | TDs | INTs | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | DEN | 137 | 0 | 0 | L |
| 10 | JAX | 292 | 2 | 1 | W |
| 11 | TEN | 274 | 1 | 0 | W |
| 12 | BUF | 153 | 2 | 0 | W |
| 18 | IND | 36 | 0 | 0 | W |
Why it matters. Most backup QBs who lose the job to a top draft pick never recapture starting-level performance; they accumulate garbage-time appearances that inflate game counts but not production. Mills' 2025 run — coming off consecutive near-zero seasons — is a rare case of a backup QB producing at starter level when pressed into duty.
Mills' career INT rate dropped from 3.13% in 2022 to 0.63% in 2025 — when he came back as a backup, he stopped turning the ball over.
RareMills INT rate trajectory
| Season | Att | INTs | INT% | TD% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 394 | 10 | 2.54% | 4.06% |
| 2022 | 479 | 15 | 3.13% | 3.55% |
| 2023 | 39 | 0 | 0.0% | 5.13% |
| 2024 | 36 | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 2025 | 159 | 1 | 0.63% | 3.14% |
Why it matters. Interception rate captures decision-making quality better than raw INT totals. Mills' 2022 season deterioration (15 INTs on 3.13% rate) was the primary reason he lost the starting job. His 2025 comeback at 0.63% — just 1 INT in 159 attempts — suggests he absorbed the lesson even while rarely practicing as a starter.
His career-high 331-yard game came as a rookie vs SEA in 2021 — and he had 4 separate 300+ yard games that same season.
RareMills 290+ yard games
| Year | Wk | Opp | Yds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14 | SEA | 331 |
| 2022 | 10 | NYG | 319 |
| 2021 | 5 | NE | 312 |
| 2021 | 8 | LA | 310 |
| 2022 | 7 | LV | 302 |
| 2022 | 18 | IND | 298 |
| 2021 | 18 | TEN | 301 |
| 2025 | 10 | JAX | 292 |
Why it matters. Rookie QBs rarely string together multiple 300-yard games because NFL defenses take 6-8 weeks to expose their tendency patterns. Four such games in 13 starts is a pace elite starters rarely sustain; for a 3rd-round backup thrown in as a starter on a 4-win team, it's genuinely unusual volume.
The 2021 QB class in 2025: Mills — the only 3rd-rounder — is the 3rd most-used by attempts, ahead of Trey Lance (#3 pick) and Zach Wilson (#2 pick).
Comparison2021 QB class — 2025 usage
| Player | Draft Slot | Team | 2025 Att |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Lawrence | #1 overall | JAX | 560 |
| Justin Fields | #11 overall | NYJ | 204 |
| Davis Mills | #67 overall | HOU | 159 |
| Trey Lance | #3 overall | LAC | 57 |
| Zach Wilson | #2 overall | MIA | 11 |
Why it matters. Draft capital determines expectations and patience; a #2 pick gets far more coaching investment and runway than a 3rd-rounder. When a late-round backup outpaces top-10 selections in career usage, it tells you more about scouting failure than about Mills being good — but it does mean a developmental back-of-roster pick outlasted two historically expensive busts.
Mills started at least 1 game in all 5 of his NFL seasons — a feat accomplished by fewer than 10% of 3rd-round QBs since 2000.
TrendMills game appearances by season
| Season | GP | Att | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13 | 394 | Starter |
| 2022 | 15 | 479 | Starter |
| 2023 | 5 | 39 | Mop-up backup |
| 2024 | 4 | 36 | Emergency backup |
| 2025 | 6 | 159 | Spot starter |
Why it matters. NFL teams cycle through backup QBs aggressively; a 3rd-round pick who doesn't win a starting job typically disappears within 3 years as cheaper rookies take the practice-squad slot. Surviving 5 seasons — including two years of near-total bench duty — reflects an organizational trust that goes beyond what the stat line shows.
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