It was just over a year ago that Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Rylie Mills tore his ACL in Notre Dame\u2019s opening round win over Indiana in the College Football Playoff. While Notre Dame made it to the National Championship Game, ultimately losing to Ohio State, Mills\u2019 college career was cut short at the worst possible time and he was unable to play.<\/p>\n
Fast forward to three weeks ago, and Mills\u2019 rookie season in the NFL started late but ended with him recording his first career sack in the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n
While Mills only played five snaps in Seattle\u2019s win over the New England Patriots, two of those plays ended in Seahawks sacks, so 40 percent of the time Mills was on the field meant bad news for Drake Maye.<\/p>\n
Field Gulls spoke to Mills during Super Bowl media availability week and asked him about how much he\u2019s looking forward a full offseason under his belt to learn Mike Macdonald\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019ll be great,\u201d Mills said. \u201cI\u2019m really excited. I feel like that was the toughest part was just coming in after having a whole offseason surgery and all that stuff. It\u2019s been really cool to feel like myself again and feel fully back and have that time to develop and get better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mills almost certainly would\u2019ve been higher up the draft board if not for his injury, but he was available for the Seahawks in the fifth round. Seattle made a big trade (by Day 3 standards) to get someone who could be a long-term part of Seattle\u2019s already fearsome defensive front.<\/p>\n
The development of Mills in his second season will easily be one of the more exciting storylines to watch out of Seattle\u2019s 2025 draft class.<\/p>\n
How the Seahawks acquired Rylie Mills<\/p>\n
It turns out the Minnesota Vikings had a bigger role in Seattle\u2019s Super Bowl success than just letting Sam Darnold walk to the Seahawks in free agency.<\/p>\n
The Seahawks were set to pick at No. 172 when John Schneider struck a deal to go 30 spots up in Round 5. In exchange for the trade up, the Minnesota Vikings received backup quarterback Sam Howell<\/a> in addition to Seattle\u2019s fifth-round pick.<\/p>\n Seattle snagged Mills, while Howell was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles before the regular season started. The Vikings traded away the Seattle pick to the Los Angeles Rams, who drafted linebacker Chris \u2018Pooh\u2019 Paul Jr, who was surprisingly waived and eventually added to the Seahawks practice squad<\/a>.<\/p>\n Minnesota turned Seattle\u2019s picks into a pair of sixth-rounders, linebacker Kobe King and tight end Gavin Bartholomew. King was let go midseason while Bartholomew is still on the Vikings but hasn\u2019t played yet due to injury.<\/p>\n The upside of having comp picks again<\/p>\n