Tag: san-francisco-49ers

2026 NFC West Preview

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams are the betting favorite for the Super Bowl heading into the season and while Seattle fans are upset by that, this is about the 2026 roster, it’s not about what you did last year.  The Rams were built to win this year and that was before they traded for the record-setting reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.  They certainly aren’t a lock to win the title, but they deserve to be the favorites.  Sean McVay is a genius coach, Les Snead has been an incredible GM, and they have reigning MVP Matthew Stafford and Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, it’s an embarrassment of riches.  Oh yeah, and just before the start of the season, Aaron Donald announced his return, maybe they are locks for the title.  

Matthew Stafford won the MVP last season (even if I disagree because he was padding his stats with 1-yard TDs to Devante Adams all year), he did have a great year, and he stayed healthy.  If he can stay healthy again, this offense will keep humming along.  WR Puka Nacua has had some off-the-field issues, but it shouldn’t hurt his season.  Nacua and Adams are a dynamic pass catching duo with very complementary skill sets.  McVay hasn’t had a good WR3 and I don’t think Jordan Whittington is going to change that this season which is why he uses 3 TE sets so much.  They have Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Tyler Ferguson, Davis Allen, and now rookie Max Klare to run out there at TE.  McVay is an offensive mastermind, and he knows how to design a passing game with whatever personnel he has available to him. 

The offensive line is stronger as a unit than they are as individual pieces.  LT Alaric Jackson is solid but unspectacular.  RT Warren McClendon III stepped in for Rob Havenstein last year and played well, now Havenstein retired and it’s McClendon’s job.  Guards Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson are big and physical, and they make up for the lack of size and physicality from C Coleman Shelton.  There’s not a lot of depth but after watching McClendon step in last season at RT and play well, it’s hard to question McVay about his offensive line. 

The running game relies heavily on Kyren Williams and he never disappoints.  He rarely stands out as a dynamic playmaker, but he always gets the yards they need and never backs down.  They started to sprinkle in Blake Corum a little more last season and you will continue to see that as they lessen the load on Williams.  Corum plays a lot like Williams so there’s not a ton of dropoff when he plays.  As long as the scheme keeps working as it has for years for McVay, the run game will be fine. 

The Rams defense was pretty solid up front last season and now they switched out Jared Verse, a very good DE for Myles Garrett, the best defender in football.  Adding Myles Garrett to Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, and Byron Young is basically unfair.  Garrett broke the single season sack record last year and that was on the Browns.  He has a better group around him up front in LA than he had in Cleveland.  The defense will have to be slightly different but defensive coordinator Chris Shula seems like a guy who can figure it all out. The addition of Aaron Donald at DT is just icing on the cake.  Yes, Donald has been retired for a few years and he’s 35, but they won’t be relying on him as an every down player, they have depth.   

The LB corps has never been a priority for the Rams when it comes to talent acquisition.  Last year their big move was signing Nate Landman, and of course, he was quite good.  They also have Omar Speights, an undrafted free agent from a couple of years ago, he does just fine too.  It’s just the way the Rams roll when it comes to LBs. 

The CB position was a problem last season and before the Rams ever traded for Myles Garrett, they made a major trade with the Chiefs for Trent McDuffie.  McDuffie is one of the better CBs in football and he’s a massive upgrade.  Then they signed another Chiefs starting CB Jaylen Watson to be the other starter, instant upgrade at both outside CB spots.  The safety position is in good hands with Kam Kitchens and Kam Curl and Quentin Lake proved to be an excellent nickel last year.  Between the improvement in coverage, they should get from McDuffie and Watson and the pass rush from Garrett, this defense is going to be very, very good. 

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks can be upset that the Rams are favored over them even though they won the Super Bowl last year, but this isn’t last year’s team.  The Super Bowl MVP for the Seahawks plays for Kansas City now and they lost Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant out of the secondary, this team will be good but it’s not the same as last year.  The loss of Klint Kubiak as the offensive coordinator could be huge if Brian Fleury, who’s never called plays before, struggles in his new role. 

Sam Darnold had a solid season last year, but he was playing in Klint Kubiak’s friendly QB offense and there’s no telling what happens with Brian Fleury calling plays.  They did re-sign Rashid Shaheed at WR and expect Tory Horton back from injury, so the entire passing offense doesn’t have to rest on Jaxon Smith-Njiba’s shoulders. Even Cooper Kupp is back.  Fleury was the TEs coach in San Francisco so perhaps he will get even more out of AJ Barner and second-year man Elijah Arroyo in the passing game. 

The offensive line was so much better under Kubiak just from the scheme change and Fleury should run a similar scheme considering his time with Kyle Shanahan.  As long as LT Charles Cross and RT Abe Lucas have healthy seasons, they should be excellent on the edges.  Jalen Sundell stepped up at center last year and while he’s not some Pro Bowl player, he played well for them.  Gray Zabel had an excellent rookie year at LG and he should only get better.  RG Anthony Bradford is everyone’s favorite whipping boy, and the team did trade back up into the fifth round of the draft to take Beau Stephens out of Iowa.  He’s going to have a chance to unseat Bradford if he falters at all.

The running game lost Kenneth Walker III in free agency after his Super Bowl MVP performance.  They also lost Zach Charbonnet to a knee injury in the playoffs and he’s not expected to be ready to start the year.  Jadarian Price may have been a bit of a reach with the last pick of round one in the draft, but he was a necessary choice.  The team needs the running game to take pressure off Sam Darnold.  If Price can hold down the spot until Charbonnet is back, that would help considerably.  If he does more than hold it down, he’s going to be a big piece of the puzzle. 

Mike Macdonald proved to be one of the elite defensive minds in the game last year and put together one of the best defenses in the game and won a Super Bowl with them.  The offense only has to be so good when the defense is this elite, now they have to sustain that level.  The defensive front isn’t made up of a bunch of superstars; it’s made up of a bunch of guys all doing their jobs well and the team having waves of rushers.  DT Byron Murphy might be the one guy who can ascend to elite status at some point, he had a heck of a year.  Leonard Williams is still a very productive player even as he gets a little older.  Jarran Reed is just a professional defensive lineman. 

The team is counting on DeMarcus Lawrence to continue to fight off father time and for Uchenna Nwosu to stay healthy.  They did lose one player from their pass rush rotation, Boye Mafe, and they replaced him with an aging and less effective Dante Fowler Jr.  They still have Derick Hall and he’s a solid piece too.  These rushers rotate around ILB Ernest Jones IV, who is the leader in the middle and he’s excellent.  Drake Thomas is the other starter inside and he’s a solid young player. 

The secondary has some excellent players in CB Devon Witherspoon, S Julian Love, and nickelback Nick Emmanwori.  However, they took a couple of hits with Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant leaving in free agency.  Woolen had fallen out of favor and was losing time to Josh Jobe, who they brought back but Jobe isn’t great, he’s solid at times but not great.  For now, it looks like Ty Okada is penciled in at safety to replace Bryant and he was a college free agent three years ago and I’ve never heard of him.  If the pass rush is compromised at all without Mafe and with Lawrence and Fowler’s age, any hole in the secondary could be exposed. 

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are such an injury riddled team that Kyle Shanahan got himself into a car accident just to be more like his players…okay…maybe that wasn’t the reason but still.  Their WR corps was a wreck last year and Ricky Pearsall is already out for the year with knee surgery.  At least he’s sparing us the fantasy football headache of where to take him when you know he’ll only play about nine games; you can just skip him this season.  If it’s not the electrical substation near the practice facility causing these injuries they should really investigate to find out the reason, their injury luck is awful.

Brock Purdy carried this offense last season relying mostly on Christian McCaffrey and then receivers like Kendrick Bourne, Jauan Jennings, and TE George Kittle, until he got hurt.  They signed Mike Evans and Christian Kirk in the spring and recently brought back Deebo Samuel, Evans and Kirk are already hurt. Kittle is likely to miss some time early but he’s making a remarkable recovery from a torn Achilles.  That’s good, they’re going to need him. Right now, the most promising pass catcher they have is rookie De’Zhaun Stribling, that’s a concern.   

The offensive line is more than the sum of its parts as LT Trent Williams is the only above average starter.  Williams is still playing at a Pro Bowl level but the rest of the group is just a bunch of guys.  C Jake Brendel and RT Colton McKivitz have been good in Shanahan’s system but the system really helps them look good.  RG Dominik Puni might be a good guard and the LG is now in the hands of rookie fourth-rounder Carver Willis.  He won an uninspiring camp battle for the job.   

The run game is all McCaffrey all the time.  He had over 300 carries and over 100 receptions, to say Brock Purdy peppered him with touches is a major understatement.  He just turned 30 this summer but he’s still one of the most electric playmakers in the league.  It would help him if they had some help around him so he isn’t the focal point for the defense.  It doesn’t seem to deter him, but it would be nice for him.  Rookie RB Kaelon Black adds a different player and they will use FB Kyle Juszczyk like no one else uses a fullback. 

The defense wasn’t spared from the injury bug last season with both DE Nick Bosa and MLB Fred Warner going down for most of the season.  Those are two All-Pro caliber players and the leaders of this defense.  Robert Saleh did everything he could to patch the defense together and now he’s the Titans head coach.  Raheem Morris comes in and he’ll try to rebuild this unit with healthy pieces.  Having Bosa back and hopefully Mykel Williams at some point when he gets back.  DT Osa Odighizuwa came over in a trade from Dallas, and he gets a starting spot.  Alfred Collins should be the big-body DT next to Odighizuwa.  They do have some decent depth this year; DT CJ West, DT Gracen Halton, and DE Keion White are a solid group. White will hold down the starting spot until Williams is back.  Rookie Romello Height will be the designated pass rusher for now. 

Fred Warner returning to the MLB spot is like getting Jordan back on Bulls.  There is no way to describe how valuable he is to this entire defense.  When healthy, Warner is the best MLB in the league.  The team is bringing back Dre Greenlaw to pair with Warner after he spent last season in Denver (mostly injured).  They need some young guys to step up but if they can get a healthy year out of Warner and Greenlaw, they’ll be fine. 

The secondary isn’t teeming with overwhelming talent, but Saleh made it work and Morris has been an excellent defensive backs coach in his career so he should figure it out too.  CB Renardo Green will try to hold off Jack Jones at one outside CB spot while Deommodore Lenoir handles the other.  Upton Stout was a solid rookie nickel last year and they hope he continues to develop.  Ji’Ayir Brown, Malik Mustapha, and Marques Sigle were the three main safeties last year and they will be again.  Not a great group but they hold their own.  The team signed Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs to be depth pieces and push the starters at CB, Hobbs went on IR so Jones is the only real depth.  They also drafted Ephesians Prysock in round four, if nothing else, he has one of the cooler names in football. 

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals were quite bad last year, and they play in a division with three behemoths, so things are not easy for them.  Jonathan Gannon is out and Mike LaFleur gets his first shot at being a head coach.  I like some of the moves they made on offense and having LeFleur bring in his version of the McVay offense from the Rams can’t hurt.  LeFleur kept defensive coordinator Nick Rallis who did a decent job with a pretty beat up group on that side.  With some better health, the defense should get better. 

The one major issue I have with what the Cardinals did on offense was how they handled the QB position.  I’m not a Kyler Murray fan and it was time for him to go.  However, keeping Jacoby Brissett as your likely starter, signing Gardner Minshew as your backup, and drafting Carson Beck with the first pick of the third round is just dereliction of duty.  This offense could be solid if they have a QB, but we’ve seen Brissett fail as a starter, multiple times.  Minshew isn’t a starter either, that leaves their hopes with Beck.  I understand they are looking at a better QB crop in the 2027 draft, but they are wasting a year of Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr.  Those two could be good, if they had a QB. Wilson had a breakout season last year and I’m really looking forward to what a smart offensive mind like LeFleur can do with Marving Harrison Jr., the guy is still a talent.  TE Trey McBride is one of the best in the league and he should thrive in this system, he’s too good not to.    

They made a solid move signing LG Isaac Seumalo to fill a big hole in their line, he’s a good veteran addition.  He’s going to make life easier for LT Paris Johnson Jr. who’s a very good player who’s been playing on an awful line his whole career.  C Hjalte Frodholdt is fine, and RG was going to be a competition until Chase Bisontis got hurt.  Isaiah Adams is fine but Bisontis has a higher ceiling.  RT Elijah Wilkinson isn’t good but he’s better than the guys they were running out there at RT last season and LeFleur comes from the Shanahan/McVay tree which means he should be able to mitigate some of issues with the offensive line. 

The Cardinals have taken plenty of heat for drafting a RB with the third pick in the draft when they aren’t likely to be very good.  It was also strange considering they already had James Conner and had signed Tyler Allgeier as a free agent.  That said, Love is a supreme talent and maybe once they get a new QB next year, Love will be a huge part of an offensive explosion then.  Conner is coming back from an injury but he’s still solid and Allgeier is a great short yardage, power back.  They shouldn’t have to tax Love too much this year. 

Nick Rallis did a solid job with a defense that was beat up and mostly outmanned so he got to stick around and see if he can make them better with some healthy guys.  Up front, he really needs Walter Nolan and Darius Robinson to be healthy and ready to play.  Nolan is a game wrecker and Robinson is a big, physical athlete they could really use.  Roy Lopez comes in as the NT and he’s a solid veteran addition. 

Josh Sweat had 12 sacks last year and they need him to keep up that production.  Zaven Collins, Baron Browning, and maybe BJ Ojulari need to give them something at the other edge rushing spot if the defense is going to make strides.  If Nolan is healthy up front, he gives them some disruption but one of these guys has to step up.  At ILB, Cody Simon and Mack Wilson Sr. are just guys, they aren’t moving the needle.  The team signed Jack Gibbens as depth but he’s not doing it either. 

The secondary was inconsistent last season because there were plenty of injuries and there’s a lot of youth.  Will Johnson is real talent, but he only played 12 games last season.  Garrett Williams might be good but he’s coming off an Achilles injury.  Denzel Burke was a fifth-round rookie last year but might have been the most reliable CB they had.  Max Melton is a still a young player who can add something to this CB room.  At safety, Budda Baker is a menace, but they lost his running mate Jalen Thompson to Dallas in free agency.  Andrew Wingard is penciled in as the starter opposite Baker, they should hope to do better.  Baker is the one true constant on this defense and he will be again.     

2025 NFC West Preview

Los Angeles Rams

Sean McVay is one of the best coaches in the NFL and for the first time in quite a while he didn’t lose either of his coordinators in the off season. OC Mike LaFleur and DC Chris Shula return and will look to build on the successes of last season and plug the holes they had.  The Rams were a tough out in the playoffs last season and they are hoping to push themselves even farther this year. 

QB Matthew Stafford flirted with leaving this off season as he looked for more certainty in his contract and the team debated the idea of trying to get younger at QB.  Eventually, both sides realized they were better off together and they agreed to a reasonable extension.  Stafford can still have some good years left and the team will look to manage his workload to keep him healthy.  He has been dealing with a back issue throughout camp and that could be a concern.

They did cut ties with Stafford favorite WR Cooper Kupp as his age has been catching up to him.  They still have Puka Nacua who took over Kupp’s WR1 role last year and he looks like he’s not slowing down. They needed a running mate for him and someone to fill the X receiver role instead of someone who was duplicative like Kupp was to Nacua.  They signed Devante Adams who is the perfect outside X receiver.  He wins one-on-one and doesn’t need to move around the formation to do so.  Also, Stafford is the best QB he’s played with since Aaron Rodgers last MVP season, that was in 2021.  I’m not completely sure why but McVay likes Tutu Atwell as his third receiver so we will go with it.  They did draft Terrance Ferguson to give them a dynamic athlete at TE and they hope Tyler Higbee can stay healthy and, on the field, to give them some two-TE sets. 

RB Kyren Williams is the unsung hero of McVay’s offense.  There are not a lot of RBs who get 300 carries in a season anymore as teams generally go with a shared backfield these days.  Not McVay, he rides Williams as much as just about any coach.  There were only six backs with 300+ carries last year and the only two who had more than Williams were Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry.  Williams didn’t have the per carry average of those two but his offensive line wasn’t as good either. 

The offensive line can be good as a group but everyone has to be healthy and playing their best.  LT Alaric Jackson is dealing with blood clot issues to start training camp but is starting to work out already.  LG Steve Avila started last year playing center but was moved back to guard, he’s better there.  Beaux Limmer stepped in at center and played well enough but the team did re-sign veteran Coleman Shelton and it seems they are going with Shelton, I’m guessing Bears’ fans would advise against that.  RG Kevin Dotson has a big contract and can be very good.  RT Rob Havenstein is an aging veteran they are trying to squeeze every last ounce out of before they have to replace him.  This line is on the razor’s edge; they don’t have much depth if the five starters aren’t healthy or are struggling.  This line is “good enough” but they barely meet that threshold.   

Chris Shula took over the defense last year and did as good of a job as anyone could reasonably expect with a young defensive front, a suspect LB corps, and a secondary you can’t expect much out of. The team drafted a pair of Florida St. defenders in the first two rounds last year and it worked.  OLB Jared Verse was great and provided the outside pass rush they needed. He’s a power rusher who dominates at the point of attack and crushes the pocket.  DL Braden Fiske was the 3-4 DE they needed up front and he was good too. DL Kobie Turner has been excellent for his first two years in the league but this line was missing something, a dynamic run stuffer.  Bobby Brown III was fine but they upgraded when they stole Poona Ford from the Chargers.  Ford doesn’t look like the typical NT since he’s 5’11 310 lbs. but he’s a beast in the middle of a three-man line.  He will improve the run defense himself. OLB Byron Young is a good complementary speed rusher opposite Verse.

The Rams seem to have an aversion to good ILBs.  Former undrafted free agent Omar Speights will start at one ILB spot, he’s okay.  For now, it looks like former Falcon Nate Landman, another former undrafted free agent, will be the other guy.  Fifth-round pick Chris Paul Jr. out of Ole Miss seemed like a potential sleeper but clearly he was too good for them because they cut him.

The Rams secondary returns unchanged and that’s one of the bigger mysteries of the off season.  Did the Rams not watch their secondary last year?  CB Darious Williams is their top CB with Ahkello Witherspoon the other outside guy and Quentin Lake as the nickel.  This felt like an area they would address in the off season and they didn’t.  They picked up Emmanuel Forbes after the Commanders cut him last season, and he’s a former first-round pick, but he’s been terrible in his career.  There was some thought they would look to trade for former Ram Jalen Ramsey when Miami was looking to dump him but he got traded to Pittsburgh instead.  Kam Curl and Kamren Kitchens are fine as a safety duo but they aren’t exactly the most dynamic.  They are not the problem in the secondary and I shouldn’t lump them in with the underwhelming CB group. 

Seattle Seahawks

Mike Macdonald is an excellent defensive coach and with the players he has on that side of the ball, he could really raise the play there.  His first OC was Ryan Grubb and it didn’t go well, he decided to replace him after one year with Klink Kubiak.  Kubiak brings the Shanahan offense with him and it should be a great fit with the guys they have on offense.  However, the biggest change isn’t the offensive coordinator it’s the QB.

The team traded Geno Smith to the Raiders and signed Sam Darnold coming off his career resurgent season in Minnesota.  Darnold operated a similar offensive system last year with Kevin O’Connell and now he’ll get the Kubiak version of the offense.  It fits him well but he won’t have the same level of talent around him in the passing game as he had with the Vikings.  WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a very good player who is ascending but he’s not in the same class as Justin Jefferson.  He can be a #1 WR for sure but he’s a step below.  Cooper Kupp is 31-year-old WR but he might as well be 35 with all the punishment his body has taken and the injuries he’s dealt with.  They hope he’s got at least one good year left in him.  They signed Marqez Valdes-Scantling who played for Kubiak in New Orleans last season to be the downfield threat but they cut him at the end of the preseason.  Fifth-round WR Tory Horton got off to an excellent start in camp and he beat out MVS.  Horton is a truly talented player who had some unfortunate injury luck in his college career, if he’s healthy, he’s really good.  At TE, the team cut Noah Fant right before training camp and they will go with AJ Barner, a very good blocker, and rookie Elijah Arroyo, he’ll be the more dynamic weapon.

One player who should really benefit from the new offensive system is RB Kenneth Walker III.  The Shanahan offense is a zone based running scheme and Walker should find more holes to exploit and his burst and acceleration will be a great match.  That’s assuming Walker stays healthy, that’s been an issue for him.  Luckily for the Seahawks, Zach Charbonnett has looked excellent in the preseason.

 The entire offense is designed to help hide the deficiencies of the offensive line, the 49ers have been doing this for years.  The Seahawks actually have some talent on the line but this system will make those guys better and hopefully hide the problems they may still have.  LT Charles Cross is a talented player and as long as he’s healthy, his athleticism should thrive in this system.  The team drafted LG Gray Zabel in round one to fill that hole and he too is a good athlete who can excel in the system.  C Olu Oluwatimi stepped in last season when their center retired mid-season and he wasn’t bad.  He’s not the strongest player at his position but again, in this offense, that’s less of an issue.  The RG position was supposed to be a battle between Anthony Bradford and Christian Haynes but Bradford wins by default as Haynes went on IR.  RT Abe Lucas is a talented player who just needs to get healthy and stay that way. When he plays, he’s pretty good, he just misses far too many games and they don’t have any OT depth to speak of. 

Mike Macdonald can get the best out of this defense no matter who plays but the front office is trying to give him some real players to work with.  DE Leonard Williams was awesome last season and while he’s no spring chicken, he should have some good years left.  DE Jarran Reed is also aging but he’s rock solid.  They need second-year man Byron Murphy II to be the playmaker he was in college on the interior of the line.  He and Williams could be a devastating duo up front. 

This team needed pass rush help on the edge and signed Demarcus Lawrence from Dallas, he’s definitely not what he once was but he’s still solid. They would really love it if Uchenna Nwosu would get healthy on the other side but he’s already hurt in camp.  They have some depth with Derik Hall and Boye Mafe so they aren’t completely screwed by Nwosu’s injury.  The ILB were awful last year until they traded for Ernest Jones IV mid-season.  Macdonald needs a good ILB to run his defense and Jones is just that guy.  He stabilized the defense and now they hope he can elevate it in his second year.  Tyrice Knight was a solid partner for Jones but he’s still developing. 

The secondary has a chance to be one of the better secondaries in the league if a couple of things fall right.  CB Riq Woolen has an incredibly high ceiling but he can be very inconsistent.  He has the size and physical tools to be a Pro Bowler, now he just has to play like it.  Devon Witherspoon can play the other outside CB spot but his best spot is the nickel.  If Josh Jobe could hold down the second outside CB spot, that would allow Witherspoon to be the nickel and they could unleash him.  The X factor is second round safety Nick Emmanwori.  He’s one of the most athletic players you’ll ever see but his best spot is up for debate.  The Seahawks have been having him concentrate on learning the nickel spot because they have two good starting safeties.  SS Julian Love and FS Cobe Bryant are a very underrated duo. If the team can unlock Emmanwori and leave Witherspoon at outside CB or get one of the outside CBs to step up so Witherspoon is the nickel, this unit could be elite under Macdonald.   

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers had the season from hell last year with injuries all over the place to go along with some poor personnel moves over the years finally adding up.  The coaching staff had also had plenty of turnover and Kyle Shanahan didn’t do a great job of filling the holes last season.  There’s some turnover again, mostly on the defensive side, where it was badly needed.  Robert Saleh returns to the team as defensive coordinator after his tenure as the Jets head coach ended mid-season last year.  He’s an excellent defensive mind and has made some noted changes to get the defense back on track.  Shanahan is still one of the smartest offensive minds in the game but he did promote Klay Kubiak to offensive coordinator to acknowledge the job he’s doing.  Shanahan will still call plays but Kubiak is an important voice in the room.

QB Brock Purdy finally got his new contract extension this off season and it’s a big one.  Now the pressure is on him because the team needs him to raise the level of the play around him as his supporting cast is changing. The team traded Deebo Samuel who was a reliable target for Purdy.  WR Brandon Aiyuk is still rehabbing from a major knee injury and it’s not certain when he’ll be ready.  WR Jauan Jennings wants a new contract and he’s banged up.  That leaves an unproven Ricky Pearsall as the most reliable WR.  The other WRs they have are Russell Gage, who hasn’t been healthy in years and Skyy Moore, a former Chiefs bust.  Luckily, Purdy does still have TE George Kittle who had a great season last year.  He’s getting a bit older but doesn’t look to be slowing down just yet. 

The running game is always good under Shanahan and he proved that last year using Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo in place of Christian McCaffrey when he was hurt.  That said, the running game is a lot better if McCaffrey is healthy.   He’s still one of the most dynamic playmakers in football.  He’s 29 and he’s had a lot of touches in his career so they need to manage his workload to keep him healthy. They traded Jordan Mason in the off season and then saw a number of injuries at RB so they made a brilliant trade to get Brian Robinson Jr. from Washington.  He’s going to be a key piece of the offense to keep McCaffrey healthy.   

Shanahan’s offense is known for making the offensive line better than the sum of its parts and they are really putting that to the test.  LT Trent Williams will be 38 this year and he took some time off for personal reasons last season, he’s not going to be around forever.  They let LG Aaron Banks leave in free agency, it was smart not to pay him what the Packers are paying him, but they don’t have great replacement options. Ben Bartch is penciled in for now.  C Jake Brendel is fine but not great.  RG Dominic Puni played well for them as a rookie last year, it would be nice if he continues to develop. The problem is he was hurt in camp and his return is unknown. RT Colton McKivitz is somehow still the starter there.  They also lost OT Jaylon Moore to an overpay by the Chiefs in free agency but that means they have no depth on this line at all.  This line is one Trent Williams injury away from being very bad. 

The defense gets a makeover on the coaching staff and they didn’t stop there.  The 49ers were awful up front on defense last year as it was basically DE Nick Bosa and a bunch of guys you didn’t want starting.  They started the makeover with the draft taking DE Mykel Williams in round one.  He’s not a great pass rusher but he’s an excellent run defender already and he’ll start.  The run defense was terrible so they didn’t stop with Williams. At DT they have Jordan Elliot but they drafted Alfred Collins and CJ West in rounds two and four respectively in the draft.  Collins and West are going to be big for them whether they start or not.  GM John Lynch pulled off one more move to help up front.  He made a trade to get Bryce Huff from the Eagles as a designated pass rusher.  Huff was a bad free agent signing for the Eagles last year but he played well under Saleh in New York and should fill a need here. 

MLB Fred Warner is still one of the best in the league but he’s working with an unproven group around him.  Dee Winters was a sixth-round pick in the 2023 who stepped in when Dre Greenlaw was hurt last season but doesn’t have much experience. The other likely LB is rookie third-round pick Nick Martin.  He’s fast but a little undersized and has no experience. Saleh has his work cut out for him with this group but even more so with the secondary. 

At CB, Deommodore Lenoir will have to step into the CB1 spot with Charvarius Ward leaving for Indy.  He’s a good player but it’s a big step up for him.  Renardo Green was solid as a rookie but now he’s moving up the depth chart too.  They are also counting on rookie Upton Stout to be the slot corner.  The safety spot is also beat up.  Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha are supposed to be the starters but both are injured and Mustapha starts the year on the PUP list. For now, it’s rookie Marques Sigle, a fifth-round pick and Jason Pinnock, a career backup.  It could get ugly fast if they don’t get pressure up front. 

Arizona Cardinals

This will be year three for head coach Jonathan Gannon, OC Drew Petzing, and DC Nick Rallis and it’s time to take a step forward.  The offense should have consistency at least with almost no turnover in personnel.  They are looking for development from the young guys and for Kyler Murray to step up.  On defense they needed a lot of help and they made some major upgrades in personnel, especially on the front. 

QB Kyler Murray is going into his seventh year in the league and he needs to take a step forward if this offense is going to succeed.  Last year was his first full year in the offense after missing the first half of 2023 coming off a knee injury.  He had 11 interceptions last season and that’s a little high considering he only had 21 TDs.  It’s on Murray to find ways to improve because the team didn’t get him any real help, they are running it back on offense. 

Marvin Harrison Jr. didn’t have a great season as a rookie but contrary to some opinions, he wasn’t bad.  WR Michael Wilson is probably the WR2 with Greg Dortch set to be the slot guy.  It’s not a great group and veteran Zay Jones is the next guy.  TE Trey McBride did have a breakout season last year as he lived up to his talent.  He’s the top target although they would like to get Harrison to be that guy.

The running game was effective last year with James Connor leading the way.  Connor is a solid back but they hope to get Trey Benson more involved to add a more dynamic element to the run game.  The offensive line isn’t teeming with great talent but they work well as a unit.  LT Paris Johnson Jr. is a good player.  C Hjalte Froholdt has turned into a competent center.  LG Evan Brown returns after a decent year while RG Isaiah Adams steps in full-time at RG.  RT Jonah Williams missed most of last season and they hope to have him back this year.  They don’t have depth to count on so they need these guys to be healthy. 

The defensive front has undergone a major revamp.  Veterans DE Calais Campbell and DT Dalvin Tomlinson were signed to give the front some much needed heft and consistency.  Add in the return of last year’s first-round pick Darius Robinson and you have a whole new look up front.  They also drafted Walter Nolen III in round one this year but he’s injured to start the year.  Pushing guys like Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols to backup roles also helps the depth up front. 

They also spent big to get themselves a new pass rusher in Josh Sweat.  He is coming off a good year in Philadelphia where he once played for Jonathan Gannon.  OLB Baron Browning should start opposite Sweat with BJ Ojulari eventually returning from injury as the third guy.  LB Zaven Collins has been a pass rusher for a few years but the team is also looking at him back at ILB where he played early in his career.  The have Mack Wilson returning at one ILB spot and then they signed Akeem Davis-Gaither as the new running mate inside.  They aren’t a dynamic duo but they are a solid pair.   

The secondary has some nice pieces but besides FS Budda Baker they lack top-end talent.  Or at least they did until round two of the draft when they stole CB Will Johnson.  They have needed a CB1 for a few a while and Will Johnson had some injury history and some speed questions that had him fall to round two of the draft.  He’s a massive steal and he’s looked awesome in camp and should be their top CB immediately.  Max Melton is their second-year guy who can be the CB2 with Garrett Williams as the nickel guy.  That’s a decent trio to go to work with.  Baker teams with SS Jalen Thompson who is an underrated player.  The secondary could be good if the team can get a pass rush up front to help them out.              

2025 NFC West Draft Review

Arizona Cardinal

(16) Walter Nolen DT Ole Miss
(47) Will Johnson CB Michigan
(78) Jordan Burch DE Oregon
(115) Cody Simon LB Ohio St.
(174) Denzel Burke CB Ohio St.
(211) Hayden Conner OL Texas
(225) Kitan Crawford S Nevada

Immediate Impact: DT Walter Nolen, CB Will Johnson

Walter Nolen shouldn’t have to start given the veterans they signed for the defensive line; Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson, plus Darius Robinson being healthy. That’s probably best because Nolen needs to mature into being a pro and having Campbell and Tomlinson around should help him do that. He will bring an attacking style of play to their front and that will be helpful. Will Johnson should absolutely start right away. He pushes Sean Murphy-Bunting into a backup role and gives the Cardinals a legit CB1. He also allows Max Melton to settle in to his CB2 spot and takes the pressure off him.

Best Value: CB Will Johnson

He may have a knee injury that could affect the longevity of his career. So what? If he’s healthy right now, he has CB1 skills and abilities. His size and play style are a great fit in Arizona and Sean Murphy-Bunting is not going to keep Johnson out of the lineup. He isn’t the fastest player but his game isn’t predicated on speed and getting a guy who can be a true #1 CB in the middle of round two is excellent value.

Sleeper: LB Cody Simon

Simon isn’t particularly good at any one thing but he was the glue that kept the Ohio St. defense together. Given the other two ILB for the Cardinals are Mack Wilson and Akeem Davis-Gaither there’s playing time available. Simon can be an additive piece to a defense that’s still looking for leaders.

Overall Analysis

Clearly, the priority of this draft class was to improve the defense. Nolen gives them a penetrating DT they really didn’t have last year and he’s a talented player. Will Johnson was just way too valuable to pass on in round two and might be the top CB they have been missing since the Patrick Peterson days. DE Jordan Burch is great fit as a bit DE with some power and some push. They need to get to the QB better and he can help that. All three of those guys can help this defense this year for sure.

LB Cody Simon went to a place where he can compete for playing time. Wilson and Davis-Gaither aren’t exactly entrenched starters. CB Denzel Burke is a guy who looked like a top prospect a couple of years ago but never seemed to put it together. He’s a little undersized and struggles at times but he does have talent and he was worth taking a shot on in the fifth round. This secondary needs all the help it can get. OG Hayden Connor is a big dude who brings a lot of power with him but I’m not sure he’s good enough to unseat Evan Brown, even if that’s not a high bar to clear. S Kitan Crawford is a longshot for the roster but given it is Arizona’s secondary; I won’t rule him out.

Nitpick or Concern: Zero help on the offense? Really? This team wasn’t bad on offense but they could have used some help. Interior offensive line needed more than Hayden Connor and they needed some WR help too.

Los Angeles Rams

(46) Terrance Ferguson TE Oregon
(90) Josaiah Stewart Edge Michigan
(117) Jarquez Hunter RB Auburn
(148) Ty Hamilton DL Ohio St.
(172) Chris Paul Jr. LB Ole Miss
(242) Konata Mumpfield WR Pittsburgh

Immediate Impact: TE Terrance Ferguson

Tyler Higbee is getting older and the Rams have been looking for a TE for a couple of years. When one of the top two didn’t fall far enough for them to get them, they traded out of round one and ended up taking Ferguson in round two. Sean McVay will use him plenty and Ferguson has all-around TE skills, he’ll be a good player.

Best Value: DT Ty Hamilton

Hamilton isn’t a big body on the inside but he has the play strength to be a NT for this team. The Rams have never cared about body type, they used Aaron Donald for years as an undersized DT and they just signed Poona Ford. Ford is a 6’0 300 lbs. player who plays much bigger, Hamilton can play bigger than his size.

Sleeper: LB Chris Paul Jr.

This is what the Rams do at LB, they take guys late in the draft, or after the draft, and turn them into eventual starters. Last year it was undrafted free agent Omar Speights and this year it will be Paul. He may not start this year but when the team decides to move on from Troy Reeder, don’t be shocked if Paul is the guy replacing him.

Overall Analysis

The Rams traded out of the first round after not being able to move up to get the TE they wanted, also because they fleeced the Falcons. This wasn’t one of their “F* them picks” moves. The Falcons gave them a first-round pick next year for the 26th pick in round one this year to move up and take James Pearce Jr. You make that trade 100 out of 100 times. The Rams were good last year but they have some aging players, including QB Matt Stafford, so an extra first next year is good business.

They did well to get Terrance Ferguson in round two, he’s a useful player who can replace Tyler Higbee at TE. Higbee is aging and gets hurt a lot, Ferguson is a terrific athlete and a good TE. Edge Josaiah Stewart is a very undersized pass rusher but like I said, the Rams really don’t care about body type. Stewart will be a terror off the edge as a designated pass rusher, opponents are going to hate him. RB Jarquez Hunter was an interesting pick after they took Blake Corum last year. Corum was supposed to be the next Kyren Williams but Hunter is more Williams than even Corum. Sean McVay will ride Williams into the ground but now he has two future options to pick from.

DT Ty Hamilton and LB Chris Paul Jr. are going to be depth pieces this year and then probably starters in a year or two. They are very good picks late in the draft. Konata Mumpfield is a skinny WR who isn’t all that fast but you know who else wasn’t fast, Puca Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Mumpfield isn’t those guys but if anyone can figure out how to use him at some point, it’s Sean McVay.

Nitpick or Concern: The Rams seem to never care about the secondary. They didn’t care in free agency or in the draft and it’s not like it’s a stacked unit. They are still counting on Ahkello Witherspoon as one outside CB and I assume Quentin Lake at nickel. They should really consider upgrading the CB spot, maybe trade for Jalen Ramsey again.

San Francisco 49ers

(11) Mykel Williams DE Georgia
(43) Alfred Collins DT Texas
(75) Nick Martin LB Oklahoma St.
(100) Upton Stout CB Western Kentucky
(113) CJ West DT Indiana
(138) Jordan Watkins WR Ole Miss
(147) Jordan James RB Oregon
(160) Marques Sigle S Kansas St.
(227) Kurtis Rourke QB Indiana
(249) Connor Colby OG Iowa
(252) Junior Bergen WR Montana

Immediate Impact: DE Mykel Williams, DT Alfred Collins, DT CJ West

The 49ers’ run defense was atrocious last year and they drafted three defensive linemen to fix it. Williams is an athletic freak who needs some work as a pass rusher but the one thing he already does well at DE is play the run. Alfred Collins is a gigantic man at 6’6 332 lbs. and he’ll eat space in the middle and occupy blockers to help keep Fred Warner clean at LB. CJ West doesn’t have quite the size of Collins but he’s plenty big and he’s an anchor on the interior. Williams will start immediately at DE and I think Collins wins a spot early. West may have to show he’s ready to play over some veterans before he gets to start, but I think he can do that.

Best Value: DT CJ West

He won’t get the notice right away as he will literally be overshadowed by his new linemates Williams and Collins. However, he’s a rock on the inside and will be the run stuffer then need and could end up starting at DT next to Collins. As a fourth-round pick, that’s excellent value.

Sleeper: OG Connor Colby

Call me a homer, I don’t care. This team needs offensive line help and they did nothing in free agency and only took Colby in the draft. They lost LG Aaron Banks in free agency and for now they have Ben Bartch penciled in there. I could see them sliding Dominick Puni, their excellent rookie last year from RG to LG and Colby getting a shot at RG. He already knows the run scheme because it’s the same one Iowa is running. Kyle Shanahan has a penchant for taking later round offensive linemen and turning them into starters, Colby could be next.

Overall Analysis

The 49ers intentions were clear early in the draft, get better on the defensive front. Williams can learn some pass rushing secrets from Nick Bosa but for now he can stuff the run. Alfred Collins gives them a run stuffer they haven’t had in quite some time. DT CJ West was a day three pick that does the same thing and was too good to pass up.

I didn’t like the Nick Martin pick at LB that early, they could have gotten him later. He fits their mold of small, speedy LBs but round three was early. You could say the same thing about CB Upton Stout, way too early. One other thing about Stout, he’s an undersized guy who needs to play the slot and that’s Deommodore Lenoir’s best spot. They needed an outside CB. They also took two WRs that I’m not sure help them. Jordan Watkins in round four and then a seventh-round pick on Junior Bergen, they could have done better.

RB Jordan James was a solid pickup and you know Kyle Shanahan will get the absolute best out of him for the next few years. S Marques Sigle is an undersized safety, not sure where he fits. QB Kurtis Rourke has some talent to work with but he played last year with a torn ACL and had it fixed after the season. This should be a redshirt year for him. Love the Colby pick, he can play in this offense.

Nitpick or Concern: It’s the Nick Martin/Upton Stout part of the draft that I don’t get. Shavon Revel Jr. literally was the next pick after Martin. Maybe he isn’t a perfect scheme fit in their eyes but he’s a better player than Martin and he’s an outside CB. There were also some speedy LBs left in round four where they took Stout. I would rather have Revel at CB and then a LB like Danny Stutsman, Jack Kiser, Cody Simon, or Barrett Carter where they took Stout.

Seattle Seahawks

(18) Grey Zabel G/C North Dakota St.
(35) Nick Emmanwori S South Carolina
(50) Elijah Arroyo TE Miami
(92) Jalen Milroe QB Alabama
(142) Rylie Mills DL Notre Dame
(166) Tory Horton WR Colorado St.
(175) Robbie Ouzts TE Alabama
(192) Bryce Cabeldue OT Kansas
(223) Damien Martinez RB Miami
(234) Mason Richman OL Iowa
(238) Ricky White III WR UNLV

Immediate Impact: G/C Grey Zabel, S Nick Emmanwori, TE Elijah Arroyo

The Seahawks offensive line was awful inside last season and Grey Zabel is going to start at one spot. He’s probably the LG but he could end up the center if they find other guards. He’s an upgrade at any spot. S Nick Emmanwori should be the starter opposite Julian Love but he needs to prove he’s reliable. They have Coby Bryant but Emmanwori has a higher ceiling. TE Elijah Arroyo has the chance to be a real playmaker for this team. He’s a better pass catcher than AJ Barner and maybe better all-around than Noah Fant.

Best Value: WR Tory Horton

If Horton’s knee is ready to go this year he’s going to play for this team. They aren’t exactly stacked at WR with an aging Cooper Kupp and a middling Marquez Valdes-Scantling. He can be a better deep threat than MVS almost immediately. I’m a fan of Horton and he’s going to be a good WR in the league.

Sleeper: RB Damien Martinez

Martinez isn’t going to take Kenneth Walker’s job but if I were Zach Charbonnet, I would be a little worried. Martinez is a big power back who can do all the things Charbonnet is supposed to do. Martinez was one of my favorite backs in the draft and having him available in round seven was a steal.

Overall Analysis

Zabel was a no-brainer pick for the Seahawks with their needs on the interior of the offensive line. He’s a day one starter and he gives them options on the interior. They traded up to get S Nick Emmanwori in round two and he’s a guy who has the type of skills Mike Macdonald can use on his defense. Arroyo is a really good investment at TE long term and brings skills this year.
While the team signed Sam Darnold at QB it’s only a three-year deal for now so the team took Jalen Milroe as a developmental QB. He won’t be pressed into service with Darnold and Drew Lock around but he’s well worth the draft pick. DL Rylie Mills gives them some depth on the defensive line. WR Tory Horton was one of my favorite picks in the draft, the Seahawks got a good one.

They also took a second TE Robbie Ouzts who is more of a blocker. Not sure how he fits considering they took AJ Barner last year and that’s pretty much his role. They sandwiched a couple of more offensive linemen around the Martinez pick; Bryce Cabeldue and Mason Richman. Both guys offer positional flexibility as they were OTs in college but are expected to be guards in the pros. They should be guys who can compete to at least be depth considering how bad the offensive line was last year. They took another WR in round seven, they can use the depth.

Nitpick or Concern: As much as I like Horton at WR, they could have invested an earlier pick at the position. Cooper Kupp isn’t a long-term answer and Marquez Valdes-Scantling isn’t an answer at all.