Let’s set the scene: the Seahawks’ war room felt more tense than a The Wire chess match. Durde, the guy who turned Micah Parsons into a sack machine in Dallas, pounded the table for a fifth-rounder with 17 college sacks and a knee injury rehabbing smoother than a Starbucks latte.
Schneider caved, trading up 30 spots to nab Rylie Mills at No. 142. Why? Because Durde’s defensive vision is that persuasive. “We had the ability to stand up when it counted,” Durde later smirked, channeling his inner Stringer Bell. “If we wouldn’t have drafted him, I’m not sure if AD would’ve showed up for work on Monday,”
Seahawks GM John Schneider quipped, his grin as sly as a Brooklyn Nine-Nine punchline. Cue defensive coordinator Aden Durde—the NFL’s first British-born DC—who just pulled a Game of Thrones-level power move: threatening mutiny if Seattle didn’t draft Notre Dame’s 6’5”, 295-pound defensive tackleMills. Spoiler: They drafted Mills. Crisis (kind of) averted.
Sounds like Seahawks DC Aden Durde pounded the table for DE Rylie Mills (fifth round), who was one of only two defensive players they took among their 11 picks.
“If we wouldn’t have drafted him, I’m not sure if AD would have showed up for work on Monday,” GM John Schneider said.
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) April 27, 2025
Mills isn’t just a DT—he’s a vibe. At Notre Dame, he racked 37 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and a spot on The Athletic’s ‘Freaks List’ in 2024. His NIL deals? Quirkier than a Portlandia sketch—White Sox partnerships, fitness collabs—but on turf, he’s all business. “He’s transformed his body. Moves like a cat,” gushed scouts.
Translation: Durde’s betting Mills’ “high-effort play” will revive Seattle’s D-line, which allowed 21.6 PPG last year. And if not? Well, let’s just say Durde’s got a very British way of handling dissent.
Howell’s Exit: Minnesota’s Gain, Seattle’s… Relief?
Meanwhile, in Quarterback Shuffle news: Seattle shipped Sam Howell to the Vikings for a bag of draft picks (and a side of cap relief). Howell, the ex-Commanders starter who threw 21 TD passes and 21 INTs in 2023, became expendable after Seattle signed Sam Darnold and drafted Bama’s Jalen Milroe. Minnesota, desperate for a backup behind rookie J.J. McCarthy, now gets a QB whose career stats read like a rollercoaster: 3,946 pass yards in ‘23, but a 14.6 passer rating in limited ‘24 snaps.
Howell’s legacy? A mixed bag. At UNC, he was a record-breaking dual threat (10,283 pass yards, 92 TDs). In the NFL? Let’s call him a project. But Vikings fans are already memeing his 2024 preseason dime to Easop Winston—a 23-yard TD that’s peak “maybe he’s him?” energy. For Seattle, though, this trade was pure cap gymnastics. Dumping Howell’s $1.1M salary helped clear $35.7M in space—enough to pay Durde’s defensive toys and maybe extend DK Metcalf.
The Seahawks’ DNA has always been defense-first—think Kam Chancellor hits and Richard Sherman pick-sixes. But under Durde, they’re blending old-school grit with new-school savvy. Mills, a DIY project with a ‘CHISOX Athlete’ mentorship deal, fits the mold: unpolished but hungry. And trading Howell? That’s Schneider playing 4D chess, prioritizing depth charts over nostalgia.
Sure, “mutiny” sounds dramatic—like a Below Deck episode gone rogue—but in Seattle, it’s just another day. Durde’s passion? As authentic as the Pike Place fish toss. Howell’s fresh start? A Viking saga waiting to happen. And the Seahawks? They’re rebuilding like a rainy-day Lego set—one block (or Mills tackle) at a time.
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