The Seattle Seahawks lost edge rusher Boye Mafe in free agency, which left the team with a rotation of three high-end players at the position. At least, until Seattle added Dante Fowler in free agency. The issue is that Fowler and DeMarcus Lawrence are well over 30 years old.
Seattle will need to find their long-term replacements sooner rather than later, but one answer might already be on the roster. That player could be Rylie Mills, and the team has already made an interesting designation change on their official website.
Mills, drafted last year but missed most of the year recovering from a knee injury he suffered late in his last season at Notre Dame, was listed as a defensive tackle in 2025. Heading into 2026, he is now a defensive end.
Rylie Mills could have an explosive season for the Seattle Seahawks in 2026
That means he might be more of a fit to rotate in with Leonard Williams, or that head coach Mike Macdonald sees the Fighting Irish product as a big edge rusher who can play all three downs. What is clear is that fans only got a glimpse last season of what Mills is capable of, and the peek was a great one.
While not playing as a rookie until Week 15, and not truly being in perfect football shape while still acclimating to the strength and speed of the NFL, Mills made a play in the Seahawks' Super Bowl victory against the New England Patriots that 12s won't soon forget.
In the second quarter, with 10:41 left before halftime and Seattle leading 6-0 on second-and-seven for the Pats, quarterback Drake Maye took the snap, and Mills simply drove the player failing to block him into the quarterback, taking down both the blocker and the quarterback. It was an example of astonishing brute strength and one reason Seattle took Mills.
Rylie Mills fights through the lineman for another Seahawks sack!
— NFL (@NFL) February 9, 2026
Super Bowl LX on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/hFaoA9F3to
The defensive end was also a fifth-round steal. Had he not gotten hurt at Notre Dame, he could have gone as early as the second round. He is 6'5" and nearly 300 pounds, but with enough athleticism not to be stuck as a defensive tackle.
2026 could be a special season for the overlooked Rylie Mills, too. It is easy for many to forget how good he can be after not playing much as a rookie and being drafted too low. Mike Macdonald will certainly find a way to fit Mills into different situations creatively, while also taking advantage of Mills' best skills.
Watching his evolution next season should be fun. He could have an explosive season for the Seattle Seahawks, and that might just be his first of many.
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