Here's the good news, Seattle Seahawks fans: this week, some of the team's organized team activities (OTAs) will be open to the media. This means fans who don't attend the practices will have the opportunity to potentially see videos of the team working out. We will also get more information on injured players.
One of those in question who is not practicing is the 2025 fifth-round draft pick, Rylie Mills, out of Notre Dame. He tore his ACL in the college playoffs last season, and if he plays at all this season, it won't be until late in the year. This could be a real problem.
Prior to his injury, Mills was a powerful defensive tackle with some quickness. He might not produce huge sack totals, but he is expected to be a solid run defender. We can already assume Mills will be missing most of one of his seasons of his rookie deal, which leaves him with three seasons to be productive.
Seahawks might already be regretting drafting Rylie Mills in the fifth round
As it takes a full year of playing many times for college players to adapt to the speed and strength of NFL players, Mills will basically be a rookie in 2026. That means he could only have two seasons where he is acclimated and ready to perform at a high level.
The issue is that while Mills could fully come back from his ACL injury, he will need to have a strong lower body to help on the interior of Mike Macdonald's defense. There is no guarantee that he will ever be healthy enough or bounce back to his pre-injury level, to be worthy of being chosen in the fifth round.
If he hadn't been injured, he certainly would have been drafted in a higher round. Had the Seahawks not chosen him when they did, who knows how far Mills slides?
Instead of Mills, general manager John Schneider could have taken Ohio State defensive lineman Ty Hamilton. Hamilton went to the Los Angeles Rams six picks after Mills. The OSU product, who has a lot of the same traits Mills does, could get meaningful snaps in 2025 and be a great fit in the Rams' defense.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks have to hope that Mills, who won't be participating in OTAs, minicamp, or training camp, can recover fully from his ACL tear. Schneider likely did his due diligence and made sure Mills could recover, but it was still a risk, and Mills won't help the team for the foreseeable future.