For much of 2025, all defensive lineman Rylie Mills could do was sit and watch as the Seattle Seahawks won game after game on their way to a Super Bowl title. Late in the season, the defensive lineman did see some limited action, and he definitely made an impact in the Super Bowl.
2026, though, is shaping up to be quite different for the player. After fully recovering from a knee injury he suffered in his final year at Notre Dame, Mills is expected to play a prominent role along the D-line and could see time at edge rusher, too.
He'd be a bigger player for the spot, but he has enough strength to overpower offensive linemen, which he proved against the New England Patriots in Seattle's Super Bowl victory. Mills saw five snaps and had a sack in which he pushed his would-be blocker into quarterback Drake Maye, gobbling both players up. He also had a tackle for a loss.
Rylie Mills could turn into the Seattle Seahawks' next great defensive lineman in 2026
Mills can definitely set a hard edge against the run if he does get reps outside, but he is stout enough to help shut down the run on the interior. Playing next to Byron Murphy II, he could help give the Seahawks one of the most powerful interior defensive lines in the league.
Could the second-year player get five sacks or more? Absolutely. He could have 30 total pressures or more, while also providing immovable run defense. Because of the Seahawks' depth, Mills, just like Murphy and veteran Leonard Williams, should be able to stay fresh in games, which should equate to elite efficiency.
General manager John Schneider likely knows how lucky he was to be able to add Mills in the fifth round of the 2025 draft. If not for the player's knee injury, he might have gone as high as the third round. His athleticism was in question, but he's already shown his strength should not be.
What's obvious, too, is that head coach Mike Macdonald will know how to get the best from his second-year player, but Macdonald won't have to do it alone. Mills is fortunate to be able to learn from Leonard Williams and Jarren Reed.
Both of those players, especially Williams, will be counted on to be productive again in 2026, though both are well past 30 years old. That implies they are closer to retirement than the start of their careers. The veterans are smart enough and experienced enough to understand what they know will be valuable to the next generation of Seahawks defenders.
This coming season will likely be just the beginning of a long run of excellence for Rylie Mills. The NFL forgot about him for nearly five rounds. He will spend the rest of his time with the Seattle Seahawks proving how every other team was wrong. Thank goodness for that.
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