2024 NFC West participant, coach rankings: 49ers rule supreme on each side of ball, Rams distant second

As we ramp as much as the beginning of the 2024 NFL season, we’re spending an entire lot of time previewing an entire lot of issues, attempting to provide you an concept of what to anticipate over the subsequent few months. As a part of that effort, we’re having a look on the positional energy of every division, rating every of the 4 groups by which ones has the perfect quarterback, working backs, extensive receivers, tight ends, offensive line, inside defenders, edge rushers, linebackers, cornerbacks, safeties and coaches. 

On this area, we’re going to check out the NFC West, which needs to be among the best divisions within the league this yr.

Quarterback

1. Rams: Matthew Stafford
2. 49ers: Brock Purdy
3. Cardinals: Kyler Murray
4. Seahawks: Geno Smith

After Stafford occupying the highest spot, it was fairly troublesome to parse the remainder of this division. Purdy has the perfect observe document, however it’s very brief and clearly owed at the very least partly to his supporting forged and training employees. Murray might be probably the most gifted however he is getting back from a serious harm and has had bother staying wholesome via whole seasons. And Smith has basically one good season and one the place he was barely above-average, even when we all know the expertise is there.

Operating again

1. 49ers: Christian McCaffrey, Jordan Mason
2. Seahawks: Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet
3. Rams: Kyren Williams, Blake Corum
4. Cardinals: James Conner, Trey Benson

CMC is the perfect working again within the league, so it was straightforward to place him first. Then it grew to become about what you worth most: Walker’s explosiveness? Williams’ versatility? Conner’s hard-charging fashion? And the way a lot do you weigh the second working again on every staff’s roster? We finally went so as of what we view because the expertise stage of the starter, whereas factoring in whether or not the backup nudged issues throughout the road.

Huge receiver

1. 49ers: Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall
2. Rams: Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Whittington
3. Seahawks: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jake Bobo
4. Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, Zach Pascal

This was maybe the hardest place in all the division to rank. You can also make a reasonably rattling good case for any of San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle to be the highest group right here. We deferred to the Niners as a result of Aiyuk might be the perfect particular person receiver within the division in the intervening time and Samuel is probably the most uncommon expertise maybe in all of soccer. After which we went with L.A. over Seattle as a result of Nacua and Kupp are so good that their collective impression nudges out Seattle’s prime three. Harrison may doubtlessly vault Arizona up the rankings all by himself, however we’ve not seen it but and the complementary items are extra stable than nice. 

Tight finish

1. 49ers: George Kittle, Eric Saubert
2. Cardinals: Trey McBride, Tip Reiman
3. Seahawks: Noah Fant, Davis Allen
4. Rams: Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee

Kittle is probably the most full tight finish within the NFL. Even when the opposite groups have staff common or higher choices on the place, that is not sufficient to overhaul him. McBride emerged final season as a premier pass-catcher, whereas Fant and Parkinson are each upside sorts now that they’re now longer splitting snaps on the identical staff.

Offensive line

1. Rams: Alaric Jackson, Jonah Jackson, Steve Avila, Kevin Dotson, Rob Havenstein
2. 49ers: Trent Williams, Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, Spencer Burford, Colton McKivitz
3. Cardinals: Paris Johnson Jr., Evan Brown, Hjalte Froholdt, Will Hernandez, Jonah Williams
4. Seahawks: Charles Cross, Laken Tomlinson, Connor Williams, Anthony Bradford or Christian Haynes, George Fant

The Rams’ offensive line is the perfect within the division … however it’s coping with vital accidents a the second. And the 49ers are coping with Trent Williams’ holdout. If he would not report, you’ll be able to in all probability transfer them down under the Cardinals, and presumably even the Seahawks. Arizona has made some quiet upgrades over the previous couple of offseasons, whereas Seattle has main query marks at nearly each spot, whether or not as a consequence of harm, ineffectiveness or lack of expertise.

Inside defensive position

1. 49ers: Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, Kevin Givens, Jordan Elliott
2. Seahawks: Leonard Williams, Johnathan Hankins, Jarran Reed, Byron Murphy II
3. Rams: Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, Bobby Brown III, Neville Gallimore
4. Cardinals: Bilal Nichols, Roy Lopez, Justin Jones, L.J. Collier

Now that Aaron Donald is now longer taking part in skilled soccer, Hargrave might be the perfect inside defender within the division. And whereas the depth would not look imposing behind him, we all know defensive position coach Kris Kocurek will work his magic as a result of he at all times does. The Seahawks’ depth of high quality confirmed veterans helped them obtain the second spot, whereas the Rams’ extremely spectacular second-year star Kobie Turner and the potential of Braden Fiske simply nudged them forward of the Cardinals right here.

Edge rusher

1. 49ers: Nick Bosa, Leonard Floyd, Yetur Gross-Matos, Drake Jackson
2. Rams: Byron Young, Jared Verse, Michael Hoecht, Brennan Jackson
3. Seahawks: Uchenna Nwosu (INJ), Dre’Mont Jones, Boye Mafe, Trevis Gipson
4. Cardinals: Zaven Collins, Darius Robinson (INJ), Xavier Thomas, Dennis Gardeck

Nick Bosa was greater than sufficient on his personal to earn San Francisco lead billing right here. Younger had a very robust rookie season, Verse has a ton of expertise and Hoecht has already confirmed himself a superb rotational edge rusher. Nwosu is injured, Jones is taking part in a distinct function than what he is not too long ago had and the depth past the, is not nice. But it surely’s sufficient to nonetheless sufficient — for now — to land in entrance of the Cardinals till we see Robinson on the sphere and Collins show he could be an impression edge man.

Linebacker

1. 49ers: Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw (INJ), De’Vondre Campbell, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
2. Seahawks: Jerome Baker, Tyrel Dodson, Tyrice Knight, Drake Thomas
3. Rams: Omar Speights, Christian Rozeboom, Troy Reeder, Jake Hummel
4. Cardinals: Kyzir White, Mack Wilson, Owen Pappoe

Warner and Greenlaw are the league’s finest linebacker duo when Greenlaw is wholesome. Choosing up Campbell to fill in whereas he rehabs was a pleasant transfer. The remainder of the division is hard to rank. Aside from Baker and White, there are an entire lot of inexperienced guys at this place. We kind of threw up our fingers and glided by really feel. 

Cornerback

1. 49ers: Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, Ambry Thomas, Renardo Green
2. Seahawks: Devon Witherspoon, Tariq Woolen, Tre Brown, Nehemiah Pritchett
3. Rams: Darious Williams, Tre’Davious White, Quentin Lake, Cobie Durant
4. Cardinals: Sean Murphy-Bunting: Garrett Williams, Max Melton, Elijah Jones

I may see the Seahawks making a leap above the Niners if Witherspoon takes the step many count on he’ll below Mike Macdonald and if Woolen recaptures his rookie yr kind. The Rams have some query marks with White’s harm historical past and the youth behind him and Williams, however there’s way more to rely on there than with Arizona’s group.

Security

1. 49ers: Talanoa Hufanga, Ji’Ayir Brown, George Odum
2. Cardinals: Budda Baker, Jalen Thompson, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson
3. Seahawks: Rayshawn Jenkins, Julian Love, Coby Bryant
4. Rams: Kamren Curl, John Johnson III, Kamren Kinchens

Once more, past the Niners, it was fairly powerful to rank the opposite three groups. Baker is actually, actually good and Thompson is stable. Jenkins and Love are each high quality, versatile gamers. Curl and Johnson are stable starters as nicely. And the Rams are actually speaking up Kinchens’ skill to make an early impression. (Which any Miami Hurricanes fan like this author may have advised you’d be the case.) 

Specialists

1. Seahawks: Jason Myers, Michael Dickson
2. 49ers: Jake Moody, Mitch Wishnowsky
3. Cardinals: Matt Prater, Blake Gillikin
   
4. Rams: Joshua Karty, Ethan Evans

Dickson is perhaps the perfect punter within the league, and Myers has a superb, robust leg. Moody was inconsistent however Wishnowsky is sort of good, and there are simply extra query marks for the opposite groups amongst their kicking items.

Coaches

1. Rams: Sean McVay
2. 49ers: Kyle Shanahan
3. Seahawks: Mike Macdonald
4. Cardinals: Jonathan Gannon

This was, actually, fairly clear to me. McVay is without doubt one of the greatest value-adds of any coach within the NFL, and Shanahan is correct behind him. Macdonald and Gannon are each inexperienced defensive-minded coaches, and I merely have extra confidence in Macdonald’s skill on that facet of the ball.