The Seahawks added to their defensive line in the fifth-round of the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting Notre Dame defensive end Rylie Mills with the 142nd overall pick.
The Seahawks selected Mills with a pick they acquired in a trade that sent quarterback Sam Howell to Minnesota.
Mills, who brings inside-out versatility to the defensive line, was a captain on a Notre Dame squad that reached the National Championship game last season. He suffered a torn ACL late in the season, but told reporters on a conference call Saturday that he is ahead of schedule and hopes to be back for training camp.
"My knee is really ahead of schedule. I know I talked to [the Seahawks] doctor out there and my knee is doing awesome. I'm walking around really well and I'm starting to run and they said I'm way ahead of where a lot of guys would be."
Mills, who is 6-foot-5, 296 pounds, started 35 games and appeared in 39 over the past three seasons, recording 108 tackles, 13.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss over that span, including 7.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss last year.
His 7.5 sacks last season was an increase from previous years, Mills noting that it was an area of focus for him in his final season. "I had an opportunity to leave last year and I decided that I didn't want to leave without having that confidence and being a complete player. That's why this year, the biggest thing I focused on was my mobility and finishing my rushes, because I knew I was a high sack number guy, but I just had to put it out there on film."
Mills has the size, strength and demeanor of a 3-4 defensive end. He's aggressive and physical in phone booth fist-fights but plays off blocks and tackles the gaps around him. He's not much of a knee-bender, so anchoring firm will get a lot tougher as a pro. He lacks explosive, twitchy movements as a rusher but makes good use of heavy hands to carve open edges and get into the pocket. He's a better picker than twister and can bull-rush unsuspecting guards. Mills could become a three-down rotational piece provided there are no lingering issues from the knee injury he suffered during the College Football Playoff.
The Seahawks drafted Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills with the 142nd overall pick in the 5th round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Check out the best photos of Rylie Mills throughout the years.
Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) during the Blue-Gold NCAA spring football game on Saturday, May 1, 2021, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Robert Franklin)
Notre Dame running back Chris Tyree, center, runs between defensive linemen Rylie Mills, left, and Zane Heemsoth, right, during the Blue-Gold NCAA spring football game on Saturday, May 1, 2021, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Robert Franklin)
Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) celebrates after making a quarterback sack during the first half of an NCAA college football game against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022 (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) celebrates after making a quarterback sack during the first half of an NCAA college football game against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022 (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
Notre Dame's Rylie Mills (99) tries to tackle Tennessee State's Jalen Rouse (22) during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)
North Carolina State's Brennan Armstrong (5) passes the ball as Notre Dame's Nana Osafo-Mensah (31) and Rylie Mills (99) close in during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)
Notre Dame linebacker Marist Liufau, left, and Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) wrap up Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams (13) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Oct. 14, 2023, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)
Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) celebrates during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Southern California, Oct. 14, 2023, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)
Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) goes to tackle Miami (Ohio) running back Keyon Mozee (3) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)
Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) celebrates during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Stanford, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)
Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) brings down Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels (14) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)
Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) celebrates during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Stanford, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)
Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) hits Georgia Tech quarterback Zach Pyron (5) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills (99) celebrates a sack of Georgia Tech quarterback Zach Pyron during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Notre Dame defensive lineman Rylie Mills (DL22) poses for a portrait at the NFL football Combine on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025 in Indianapolis. (AJ Mast/AP Content Services for the NFL)
