The Seattle Seahawks were without two of their three fifth-round picks during rookie minicamp, which was held May 2-3 at the team facility in Renton. Wide receiver Tory Horton and defensive end Rylie Mills each sat out, per The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar.
Mills' absence was more expected than Horton's. Mills sustained a torn ACL in December and is still rehabbing the injury. Upon being drafted, it was anticipated that Mills may not be ready to go by the time the regular season begins. Horton, however, suffered an LCL injury in October and also had surgery to repair it. Macdonald said he was sidelined due to precaution despite running at the NFL Scouting Combine, per Dugar.
“I wouldn’t say it’s anything major,” Macdonald said. “When he comes back, he should be close to full-go. We’ll see how that kind of comes about.”
Horton is expected to immediately have a role with the Seahawks as a rookie. Not only does Seattle need depth at wide receiver, but it doesn't have a clear leading candidate to return punts. Horton figures to be the front runner while he tries to carve out a role on offense — much like Tyler Lockett did after he was drafted in 2015.
"I’m feeling good where I’m at right now. Great progress," Horton said, per Dugar. "I’m just taking mental reps and still going game-speed mentally."
The knee-jerk reaction to Horton sitting out would be concern surrounding his long-term health. However, it's not uncommon for teams to hold players out of these activities to avoid aggravating the injury. If he still hasn't practiced late into training camp, that would be concerning.
On the flip side, second-round tight end Elijah Arroyo's participation is a welcome sight, considering he battled through multiple knee injuries in college, including one that limited his ability to participate in the pre-draft process. Arroyo will likely be another immediate contributor in the Seahawks' offense.
The Seahawks will be patiently waiting to see Horton and Mills back on the field when they're ready. Each was an impressive value selection for the franchise in the fifth round.
