Seahawks camp day 3: Jadarian Price’s best day yet wows vet; Rylie Mills shining

· Yahoo Sports

Ernest Jones doesn’t get impressed easily. Especially not by rookies.

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The veteran middle linebacker has won two Super Bowls. He’s played five seasons for three NFL teams. His coach, Mike Macdonald, lauds Jones for how perceptive he is, for how innately he anticipates what the offense is trying to do to him and his top-ranked Seahawks defense.

That’s what makes what Jadarian Price pulled on Jones Monday during the rookie’s third NFL training-camp practice remarkable.

It showed why the Seahawks drafted Price in the first round this spring.

It also showed why — despite Price being behind third-year veteran George Holani on the first-team offense, for now — it will be a shock if Price isn’t Seattle’s starting running back in week one. That’s when the defending Super Bowl champions kick off the NFL season Sept. 9 in a title-game rematch against New England at Lumen Field.

“He’s GOOD, man,” Jones said.

That was after this play in a 7-on-7 drill.: Jones ran outside in pass coverage and stalked Price on his pattern coming out of the backfield. As Jones ran up on him the rookie running back moved one way then cut another. That move sent the veteran, Super Bowl-champion middle linebacker out of the play.

“He had a helluva a route on me today,” Jones said of Price.

“So he’s good, man. I think he’s gonna help us.”

It was Price’s best move on his best day yet for the Seahawks. Most notably, it was in the part of his game coaches are intensely drilling, to see if he’s ready to be a starting NFL running back this fall at age 22.

Price rarely caught passes or pass blocked in college at Notre Dame through this past winter. That’s because the Fighting Irish featured Jeremiyah Love as their lead running back. Love was so good he became the third pick in this year’s NFL draft, by the Arizona Cardinals.

Price has said since becoming a Seahawk in late April pass catching and pass blocking are what he needs to work on most. Each practice day, new running backs coach Thomas Hammock is doing that. Hammock throws pass after pass to Price in position drills. Inside. Outside. Quick over the middle. Hard throws. Lofted throws.

Then in 11-on-11 scrimmaging each day, Price is catching passes from quarterback Sam Darnold, backup Drew Lock AND third-stringer Jalen Milroe.

Yes, the rookie running back is getting scrimmage plays on the first-, second- and third-string offenses. That’s how much the coaches are maximizing Price’s opportunities to improve in the pass game and overall by week one.

Price’s first day of training camp Saturday was rough. He dropped multiple passes from Hammock in drills. In 7 on 7, he ran the wrong route. Darnold threw short and outside, well behind Price running straight up the field. When Price got back to the huddle Darnold tapped him on top of the helmet paternally while they talked about the play.

But Sunday and again Monday, Price excelled. Later in Monday’s practice Price leaned, bent at the waist and reached outside in the left flat to catch a bullet of a pass from Darnold on his fingertips. Price impressively kept his balance and turned upfield for yards after the catch, an emphasis by new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury.

“He’s caught a lot of passes,” Macdonald said, in an understatement.

Running the ball, Price has looked natural cutting off the Seahawks’ base outside-zone blocking scheme by the offensive line. He’s said the system best fits his running style. That’s why he was excited when Seahawks drafted him 32nd overall in April.

After practice Monday, Price looked like a star, he was surrounded by fans, mostly kids, clamoring for autographs and calling his name. He cheerfully signed for all of them.

Running backs Zach Charbonnet, who rushed for 12 touchdowns for the team last season, and Kenny McIntosh are on Seattle’s physically-unable-to-perform list following reconstructive knee surgeries. Charbonnet’s surgery was in February. McIntosh’s was 12 months ago.

Emanuel Wilson, signed in free agency from Green Bay this spring to a one-year contract at just above the league minimum salary, got scrimmage plays with the starting offense in 11 on 11 for the first time Monday.

The coaches’ evaluation of Price, Holani, Wilson and the running-back situation post-Kenneth Walker signing this spring with Kansas City is so early. And so inconclusive.

“Is it tough to evaluate right now? Kinda, with the tempos and things, and see how the runs finish,” Macdonald said when asked to assess Price specifically through three camp days. “But you can see the decisiveness. You can see the movement ability. The quickness. The speed. Doing a lot of great things in pass protection, which I appreciate.

“So it’s positive right now. Just really excited about him. He’s got a great opportunity in front of him. I know ‘Ham’s’ coaching his tail off. So I think we’re in a good spot right now.”

It will begin becoming clearer starting on Thursday. That’s when the Seahawks will be in full pads for the first time, with real blocking and contesting passes by the defense.

“It’ll be interesting see how it shakes out and we start getting some more realistic type-looking reps.”

Rylie Mills excels

This time last year, Rylie Mills was bummin’. He was about six months into a long, lonely recovery from reconstructive surgery that ended his college career at Notre Dame. That recovery lasted until the fifth-round pick in 2025’s NFL debut for Seattle last Dec. 14 against Indianapolis.

Now? Rylie Mills is ballin’.

The 6-foot-5, 296-pound defensive end is beating starting and reserve offensive linemen off the snap with quick swim moves. He was living in the offensive backfield again for parts of scrimmaging Monday.

“It’s way more fun,” Mills said Monday of Seahawks training camp, “when you actually get to be a part of it.”

Mills’ full offseason healthy, training and learning more of Macdonald’s Seahawks defense, plus this impressive start to camp, suggest he is going to be right at the top of the defensive line’s rotation with veterans Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Byron Murphy and fourth-year end Mike Morris.

“I’m excited where I’m at,” Mills said.

“Personally, I’ve always had really high goals for myself. I just want to keep playing to my standard...I know the goals that I have for myself.”

A healthy Mills, who had his first career sack in Super Bowl 60 in February, means a better Seahawks defensive line — and a better defense overall.

“I’m really happy for him,” Macdonald said. “I know he’s excited. I mean, he’s the type of guy that you’re going to feel his spirit out here, and his competitiveness.

“He’s putting in the extra work. He’s kind of like a football junkie. The whole process is, honestly, probably what you respect about him the most, is the amount work he’s willing to put in behind the scenes to come out here and perform and execute.”

Extra points

*Wide receiver and kick returner Tory Horton did not practice, after participating in position and group drills but not 11-on-11 scrimmaging Saturday and Sunday. That is part of the training staff’s plan in Horton’s return from the shin injury that ended his rookie season months early last November.

*Rookie cornerback Julian Neal left practice shaken up. So did wide receiver Jake Bobo. He went into the team facility with a trainer early in practice.

“Yeah, we had a couple guys today that we just took in that didn’t seem like anything major,” Macdonald said. “But we’re going to get (them) checked out and see what we need to do.”

*Veteran edge defender DeMarcus Lawrence got what looked like a veteran day off. He watched practice in sneakers and a ball cap.

*Third-year linebacker Jamie Sheriff missed practice.

*The team practices again Tuesday, in front of fans for the third time in four days of camp. Then the players have the day off from practicing Wednesday.

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