There was little doubt the best division in football was the NFC West last season. Amid all the preseason hype, the NFC West lived up to it as three teams finished .500 or better -- while the defending champion San Francisco 49ers finished under .500, thanks to a myriad of injuries that hindered their season.
The Seattle Seahawks earned the division championship with 12 wins, but the Los Angeles Rams demonstrated their division supremacy with a wild card victory over Seattle on the road. Los Angeles is a Super Bowl favorite thanks to the addition of Matthew Stafford at quarterback, an instant upgrade for Sean McVay and an offense looking to get back to among the NFL's elite.
Seattle had to survive the offseason drama surrounding Russell Wilson's happiness, even if it appears Wilson will remain with the organization for at least one more year. The Seahawks will always be competitive with Wilson under center, specifically with a talented wide receiver unit led by DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. The Arizona Cardinals are looking to take the next step under Kyler Murray as they were one of the most improved teams in the league last year. Arizona added a bunch of talented veterans in free agency as the Cardinals seek a playoff berth for the first time in six years.
Let's not forget the 49ers, who are getting Nick Bosa, Dee Ford, Raheem Mostert, George Kittle and many others back from significant injuries. The 49ers will be a trendy pick to reclaim their division crown from two seasons ago. The NFC West is -- once again -- unpredictable, so let's take a look where things stand at the conclusion of the draft and where each team stacks up heading into minicamp.
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Los Angeles Rams
2021 draft grade: B- (Pete Prisco)
Best pick: No: 57: Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville (Cody Benjamin)
Most questionable pick: No. 103: Ernest Jones, LB, South Carolina (Josh Edwards)
2022 mock draft pick: None
SportsLine's 2021 win projection: 11
William Hill season win total: 10.5 (+110 over, -130 under)
William Hill odds to win division: +180
William Hill odds to win Super Bowl: +1400
The Rams are the most talented team in the division, starting with the addition of Stafford at quarterback. Stafford is the signal-caller McVay has been seeking for several seasons as the head coach surrounded him with talent at wide receiver to have a huge first season in Los Angeles. The Rams added DeSean Jackson in free agency to pair him with Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, while Van Jefferson and second-rounder Atwell provide valuable depth. Los Angeles will rely on Tyler Higbee more at tight end as Gerald Everett departed in free agency to Seattle.
Andrew Whitworth is back at left tackle and Leonard Floyd returns on the edge, one of the biggest priorities for the Rams this offseason. Los Angeles didn't have to do much in free agency once it acquired Stafford, as the team has plenty of huge contracts for Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and others.
The Rams are in "win-now" mode for 2021. They're the division favorites, but offensive line could be an issue if Whitworth goes down.
San Francisco 49ers
2021 draft grade: C (Pete Prisco)
Best pick: No. 3: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State (Jared Dubin)
Most questionable pick: No. 48: Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame (Josh Edwards)
2022 mock draft picks: None
SportsLine's 2021 win projection: 10
William Hill season win total: 10 (-150 over, +130 under)
William Hill odds to win division: +200
William Hill odds to win Super Bowl: +1400
The 49ers were the class of the NFC two years ago, but 2020 was a much different story. The vaunted pass rush was diminished early last season when Nick Bosa and Dee Ford suffered season-ending injuries, limiting the production of Arik Armstead and relying on the likes of Dion Jordan to get to the quarterback. Jimmy Garoppolo also had a season-ending injury while Raheem Mostert battled injuries throughout the year. The 49ers run game was still efficient, but Jeff Wilson and Jerick McKinnon also battled injuries throughout the year.
San Francisco took the gamble trading up from No. 12 to No. 3 overall and selected Lance, grooming him to be their next franchise quarterback. Garoppolo's future is in doubt as a result as he will compete for the job, which could put a burden on the 49ers' Super Bowl chances for this season. San Francisco was able to retain Ford and Trent Williams in free agency, also keeping Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk and safety Jaquiski Tartt in the fold. Trey Sermon joins Mostert and Wilson in the running back rotation, while San Francisco is banking on Brandon Aiyuk taking the next step after a solid rookie campaign. Alex Mack is an instant upgrade at center.
The 49ers are banking on health as the reason they'll compete for the division and conference title. If George Kittle stays healthy and the pass rush returns to its dominant form, the 49ers are a threat in the NFC -- no matter who the quarterback is.
Seattle Seahawks
2021 draft grade: D (Pete Prisco)
Best pick: No. 56: D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan (Bryan DeArdo)
Most questionable pick: No. 137: Tre Brown, CB, Oklahoma (Josh Edwards)
2022 mock draft pick: None
SportsLine's 2021 win projection: 10
William Hill season win total: 10 (+120 over, -140 under)
William Hill odds to win division: +280
William Hill odds to win Super Bowl: +2500
The Seahawks still have Russell Wilson under center, which guarantees they'll be in the running to repeat as division champions. Wilson, who has been sacked more than any quarterback in his first nine seasons, did receive help on the offensive line with the offseason trade of Gabe Jackson at right guard -- but did Seattle do enough? The offensive line is mostly unchanged from last year, even though Jackson is a significant upgrade.
Seattle certainly helped Wilson by bringing Chris Carson back, even though the Seahawks lost Carlos Hyde in free agency. Second-rounder Eskridge is expected to contribute at wide receiver immediately after Seattle lost David Moore and Phillip Dorsett in free agency. Gerald Everett is a significant signing at tight end, but it looks like Wilson will have to carry the offense again -- even though he has playmakers at the skill positions. The offense should be better than the unit that faded in the second half of the season.
Keeping Carlos Dunlap was significant for the Seahawks pass rush, as Seattle also landed Kerry Hyder in free agency from San Francisco. Seattle also signed Ahkello Witherspoon from the 49ers, a necessary move after Shaquill Griffin signed with Jacksonville. The Seahawks do need help at cornerback, which could be rectified if Richard Sherman were to return. KJ Wright can't be ruled out as a late offseason signing at linebacker either.
Seattle is good enough to go back to the playoffs, but is this team good enough for Wilson? A deep playoff run could be enough to convince the quarterback to stay past this season.
Arizona Cardinals
2021 draft grade: B (Pete Prisco)
Best pick: No. 49: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue (Jeff Kerr)
Most questionable pick: No. 16: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa (Josh Edwards)
2022 mock draft picks: No. 14: Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M (Ryan Wilson)
SportsLine's 2021 win projection: 8
William Hill season win total: 8 (-140 over, +120 under)
William Hill odds to win division: +575
William Hill odds to win Super Bowl: +4000
The Cardinals were the most active team in free agency this offseason. They were able to land J.J. Watt and A.J. Green, two veterans that will immediately pay dividends toward a young roster. They acquired Rodney Hudson and signed Brian Winters to improve the offensive line and altered the secondary by signing safety Shawn Williams and cornerback Malcolm Butler -- better fits for the man-coverage scheme defensive coordinator Vance Joseph likes to run.
Arizona did allow Kenyan Drake, Patrick Peterson, and Haason Reddick to walk in free agency -- but the Cardinals are getting Chandler Jones back to significantly improve the pass rush. Collins will be the MIKE linebacker, which allows Jordan Hicks to become available for trade. The Cardinals will pair him with Isaiah Simmons in the middle as Markus Golden will play the outside with Jones. This defense is better than the unit that walked off the field in Week 17 last year.
Murray may have the best group of wideouts in the NFL with DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, A.J. Green, and the rookie Moore as the top four. The Cardinals have a major problem at tight end, but that position isn't utilized in head coach Kliff Kingsbury's offense. Offensive line is a unit that improved, but can this unit run block for Chase Edmonds? The Cardinals will be throwing significantly in 2021.
Arizona is the wild card in this division. The Cardinals are good enough to steal the division title and will be a problem all year long. If the defense doesn't improve, they could be staring at another 8-8 record. Arizona needs a strong finish in order to make the playoffs, which the Cardinals are certainly capable of.
