The Seattle Seahawks are officially in game week mode, hosting the Dallas Cowboys in their preseason opener Saturday. For a football team in that scenario, the number one priority is getting in a routine. Second-year defensive lineman Rylie Mills took the podium first at today’s post-practice press conference to speak about his acclimation, something he missed out on last year due to an ACL injury. He’s relishing the small details now and handling media relations surprisingly well, too. It’s a quiet indicator of the value John Schneider and Mike Macdonald keep finding in once under-appreciated defensive assets.
Mills’ development represents everything the Seahawks do well with young talent. He had the athletic tools at 6’5 3/8″, 291 pounds, but needed refinement, both physically and technically. An injury complicated things further, but as a day-three selection, the Seahawks weren’t expecting him to contribute immediately anyway. That gave him room to build a foundation before getting thrust into action.
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All he could do was take mental reps. He soaked up knowledge from Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Uchenna Nwosu and DeMarcus Lawrence in the defensive line room. Then he got sprinkled in as a capable body on certain downs — and pleasantly surprised the Seahawks exactly when they needed it most.
You have to love it for the player. Between just 34 total snaps across Weeks 15-18, the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl, Mills delivered one of the biggest moments of the biggest game. Despite making his debut in mid-December, his dominant Super Bowl LX sack has fans excited for a six-game rookie campaign to turn into a real Year 2 role. Today’s press conference shows he’s just excited to begin healthy and get in routine.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Rylie Mills Finally Gets a Normal Camp — and Seattle Notices
