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SB Nation's Field Gulls' Alexandre Castro included former fifth-round pick Rylie Mills as a breakout candidate for the 2026 NFL season.
The Seattle Seahawks lost a key member of their front seven in Bofe Maye during NFL free agency. But Seattle could receive contributions elsewhere this season. One possibility is defensive lineman Rylie Mills.
On Friday, SB Nation’s Field Gulls’ Alexandre Castro named three Seahawks defensive players primed for a breakout season in 2026. Mills made the list.
“Sometimes the biggest jumps come from players whose development gets delayed before it ever begins,” wrote Castro.
“Rylie Mills might fit that description perfectly.
“When Seattle selected the former Notre Dame defensive lineman, much of the conversation centered around the injury that ended his final college season. In many ways, 2025 became a redshirt year. The focus wasn’t on immediate production but on recovery, development, and preparing for the long term.
“Now comes the opportunity to show why the Seahawks were so interested in him in the first place.”
Mills appeared in four games during his rookie season. He registered three combined tackles.
GettyThe Seattle Seahawks selected defensive end Rylie Mills in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Seahawks landed Mills at No. 142 overall in the fifth round last year. But any hope the defensive lineman could be a sleeper as a rookie pretty much ended when the team placed Mills on the non-football injured list before training camp.
It’s easy to see, though, why the 24-year-old could make a big impact this fall.
Mills made his NFL debut during Week 15. He played 28 defensive snaps during the regular season. Mills then dressed for the NFC championship game and Super Bowl.
Against the New England Patriots, Mills registered a sack while playing just five defensive snaps.
Fully healthy for 2026, Mills could be the sleeper this fall that he would have been if on the field early last season.
“Few defensive lines can match Seattle’s depth. Opposing offensive lines will spend most of their attention dealing with Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II, and Jarran Reed. That creates favorable one-on-one opportunities for rotational players who can capitalize on them,” wrote Castro.
“Mills may never be the most physically gifted player in the room, but his combination of effort, instincts, and disruptive first-step explosiveness gives him a realistic chance to outperform expectations.”
GettySB Nation’s Field Gulls’ Alexandre Castro included former fifth-round pick Rylie Mills as a breakout candidate for the 2026 NFL season.
Mills is very much an under-the-radar breakout candidate for the Seahawks defense. For his other two choices, Castro chose two much-more obvious choices, one of which has arguably already “broken out” — safety Nick Emmanwori and defensive lineman Byron Murphy II.
“Nick Emmanwori has the tools to become a difference-maker in the secondary. Rylie Mills could provide another valuable contributor along an already talented defensive front. And Byron Murphy II appears poised to make the leap from promising talent to legitimate star,” wrote Castro.
“If even a couple of those developments happen, Seattle won’t just have a good defense in 2026.
“It could have one of the NFL’s most complete units.”
Emmanwori had a strong rookie campaign last season. But pundits expect him to take a major leap during his second NFL campaign.
Murphy is entering his third NFL season. He’s never made the Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, but last season, he had seven sacks with seven tackles for loss and 13 quarterback hits.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers and a variety of other NFL teams. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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