NFL Draft Notebook: Expect the Los Angeles Rams to Rule the NFC West

After taking a look at the NFC North and AFC North in the past two NFL Draft Notebook’s, this week’s article highlights the NFC West. The Los Angeles Rams should be the favorite to win this division again this year after winning the Super Bowl last year. One team who could challenge them this coming season, if they have a more consistent year, is the Arizona Cardinals. Unfortunately, this could be a down year for the San Fransisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, as they both have questions at the quarterback position.

Along with taking a deeper look at the NFC West, this article also highlights the following:

• Rookies who are seeing their stock rise and fall
• A rookie to watch for on each NFC West team
• A look at some wide receivers to watch for in the 2023 NFL Draft

NFC West Preview

*Please note: teams are in the order I expect them to finish in the NFC West*

Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams made a big move last off-season when they traded for quarterback Matthew Stafford and it paid off with a Super Bowl championship. This year, most of the key playmakers return on the offensive side of the ball and they also got great value in adding former Chicago Bears’ wide receiver, Allen Robinson II. Even with there being plenty of firepower in the passing game, there are some areas the Rams need to address. This includes replacing Austin Corbett and Andrew Whitworth on the offensive line. They will also need Cam Akers to stay healthy this season, since Sony Michel moved onto the Miami Dolphins.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Rams are still led by Aaron Donald, who is a true impact player on the defensive line. Two more key contributors on the defensive side of the ball are linebacker Leonard Floyd, who recorded 9.5 sacks last season, and cornerback Jalen Ramsey. While the Rams do have several big names on this side of the ball, they will need the other defenders to do their share in order to finish higher in the middle of the pack defensively.

The Rams should have enough on offense to win the NFC West again this year, and with an improved defense could return to the Super Bowl.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are led by Kyler Murray, who is one of the most dynamic players in the NFL. Last season, he completed close to 70% of his passes and was a consistent threat to make plays with his feet. Murray has plenty of weapons to throw the ball to as well, including wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, and tight end Zach Ertz. The running game is led by James Conner, who rushed for 752 yards last season but only averaged 3.7 yards per carry.

One of the main reasons the Cardinals lost five of their last six games last year was the poor play of their defense. To make matters worse, the team lost one of their key players this offseason when Chandler Jones signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. In order for their defense to take a step forward this year, they are going to need some of their youngsters to step up, including high draft picks Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons. One thing that will help the Cardinals’ defense is the strong play of punter Andy Lee, who averaged 49 yards per punt, so he should be able to give the opposing team a long field to work with.

Last year the Cardinals were a team of streaks, starting the season 7-0 before ending the season on a losing note. This season, it will be critical for the Cardinals to start strong with DeAndre Hopkins being suspended for the first six games. If the Cardinals can go at least .500 with him out, and see some growth from their defense, they should be able to come in second in the NFC West.

San Francisco 49ers

This could be a down year for the San Francisco 49ers after they reached the NFC Championship game last year. The biggest reason the 49ers might struggle this season is that they are going all in on quarterback Trey Lance. Last season, Lance only completed 58% of his passes and had an overall quarterback rating of 97.3. Two players Lance will need to count on to hopefully have a better sophomore year are wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle.

In order for the San Fransico 49ers to compete for the NFC West title, they are going to need another big year from their defense, which ranked fifth in points per game last season. This unit is led by Nick Bosa, who ranked 4th in the NFL with 15.5 sacks last year. One area the 49ers do need to improve on is their pass coverage. Last season, they finished 28th in the NFL in completion percentage allowing opponents to complete 67% of their passes.

While Kyle Shanahan does a great job of getting the most out of his quarterbacks, expecting Trey Lance to be anything more than a middle of the pack quarterback next year might be asking too much. When you factor in how he will likely struggle this season and the issues the 49ers’ secondary had last season, it is hard to see them making a return to the NFC Championship or even the playoffs next season.

Seattle Seahawks

When you enter the season with Drew Lock and Geno Smith as your top two quarterbacks, you know it is going to be a long year. Unfortunately, this is the case for Seattle, who will likely finish dead last in the NFC West. On the positive side though, if they can add a quality quarterback next off-season, or trade for one before the start of the season, they have the playmakers to make a big jump. The team has three electric playmakers in the passing game in wide receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and tight end Noah Fant. The running game is in good hands as well with Rashaad Penny, who recorded 671 yards on the ground in the last five games of the season.

The Seahawks’ defense also has its share of questions and losing veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner won’t help. The biggest issue the Seahawks had last year was their pass defense, which finished 31st overall. If Seattle is going to improve on this number, they are going to need a much-improved pass rush, improved play from their corners, and for safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs to stay healthy. On the positive side, they do have linebacker Jordyn Brooks who is quickly becoming one of the better middle linebackers in the game.

It is hard to see Seattle doing much this year due to the questions at the quarterback position and with their pass defense. However, they do have several building blocks to build around, and if they can make some key additions next off-season, they should be back in the playoff race in 2023.

Rookie Stock Watch

Stock Up

George Pickens, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Going into the 2022 NFL Draft George Pickens was viewed as one of the receivers with the most potential, and so far he is living up to that hype. So far in camp, he has made numerous athletic catches and has been the star of Steelers’ camp. If he can stay healthy, which was an issue with him in college, look for him to be one of the most productive rookie receivers this season.

Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Another wide receiver who has opened eyes so far in training camp is Atlanta Falcons’ wide receiver Drake London. He has impressed the Falcons’ coaching staff with his ability to consistently make plays downfield, adjust to a poorly thrown ball, and play both inside and outside receiver. If the Falcons can get consistent play out of the quarterback position, look for this to be a big rookie year for London.

https://twitter.com/brgridiron/status/1553554083528712194

Braxton Jones, OT, Chicago Bears
Braxton Jones, who was a member of the 2022 All-Underrated team, has exceeded all expectations so far in training camp. He has seen the majority of snaps at left tackle so far and has a strong chance to earn the starting job. If Jones can handle this task, he could be one of the best selections of the draft and one of the most impactful day three selections.

Cordell Volson, OG, Cincinnati Bengals
Another offensive lineman who was part of the All-Underrated team is Cordell Volson. Like Jones, Volson is competing for a starting spot in the NFL. In Volson’s case, he is competing for the starting left guard position with 2021 second-round pick Jackson Carman.

Markquese Bell, S, Dallas Cowboys
An undrafted free agent who is turning heads is Markquese Bell. Bell has impressed his coaches with his playmaking ability. If he continues to play at the level he has the past few weeks, it will be hard for the Dallas Cowboys to not keep him on the active roster this season.

Stock Down

Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
While Kenny Pickett got off to a rough start in training camp, he has started to look better and better every day. However, he will likely not be in serious contention for the starting job, which you would like to see from a first-round draft pick who is competing with Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph for the job. It looks like the Steelers will let Pickett spend most of this year on the bench and if they are removed from playoff contention, they’ll give him some looks towards the end of the season.

Kyle Hamilton, S, Baltimore Ravens
One rookie who has really struggled so far is Baltimore Ravens’ safety Kyle Hamilton. Hamilton has struggled in pass coverage on numerous occasions and has also battled some minor injuries. When looking at him in coverage, the biggest concern is his lack of flexibility, which makes it hard for him to break down and stay on receivers in coverage. If this continues to be a problem for him, look for Baltimore to use him in zone coverage or to line him up in the box to stop the run.

Isaiah Weston, WR, Cleveland Browns
One undrafted free agent who was hoping to make a name for himself was former UNI wide receiver, Isaiah Weston. Unfortunately, Weston only made it a few days with the Browns in training camp as he suffered a devastating ACL injury, which will likely end his year. While Weston might not make an impact this season, he still could be a part of the Brown’s future if he can return healthy next season, since his 4.42 40-yard dash and 6-foot-3 size still make him an intriguing developmental prospect.

Desmond Ridder, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Coming out of Cincinnati, one of the biggest questions with quarterback Desmond Ridder was his accuracy. This issue has also been a concern in training camp so far with the Falcons, as he has missed several wide open receivers. This lack of accuracy is one of the reasons Atlanta has already named Marcus Mariota their starter for this season.

Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
While the Packers are downplaying the fact Watson has missed the start of training camp due to injuries, it should be a concern for Green Bay fans. This is a concern as Watson battled several injuries while at North Dakota State, and the fact he is already missing time in the NFL continues this trend. It should also be a concern as he was a raw player coming out of the FCS, so any missed time limits his development in terms of fundamentals and overall understanding of the game. On the positive side, fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs, has looked promising in camp so far in Watson’s absence.

NFC West Rookies to Watch

Arizona Cardinals
Former Cinncinati Bearcat Myjai Sanders went to the perfect situation when he landed in Arizona. This was a good fit for Sanders since he gets to play outside linebacker in the team’s 3-4 defensive scheme. This is his best position due to the fact he lacks the bulk to play defensive end in a 4-3 defense and the fluid hips to play outside linebacker in that scheme. Sanders has looked natural in the Cardinals’ defense as well, already drawing rave reviews from Arizona Cardinals’ media members.

Los Angeles Rams
A day three rookie who should make an impact for the Los Angeles Rams this year is cornerback Decobie Durant. Coming out of South Carolina State, Durant was viewed as a player with outstanding ball skills and those skills have already shown up in training camp. He should see plenty of time for the Rams this year and there is a good chance he will be the team’s starting nickel cornerback.

San Fransico 49ers
Now that the 49ers have moved on from Dee Ford they are hoping defensive end Drake Jackson can pick up some of the slack. This is something Jackson is showing he is capable of each day in training camp. He has looked explosive off the edge and also looks like he has added some muscle, which should help him hold up vs. the run. It would not be a surprise if Jackson is one of the most impactful rookies in the NFC West this year.

Seattle Seahawks
Earlier in this article, we noted how the Seahawks need to see much-improved play from their secondary this year, and one player who will help in this area is fourth-round pick, Coby Bryant. Last season, Bryant won the Jim Thorp Award after breaking up 14 passes and picking off three more. He has taken this ability to make plays on the ball to the NFL already, making several plays in training camp.

Scouting Notes

— A player people are overlooking is Iowa State wide receiver, Xavier Hutchinson. Hutchinson carries an undrafted free agent grade according to NFL Mock Draft Database, which is way too low for a player of his talent level. Several things stand out with Hutchinson that make him more of a day two prospect. One of these traits is his sure hands. He does a great job of attacking the ball with his hands, which leads to him rarely dropping a pass. He also has a great catch radius due to his 6-foot-3 size and agility that allows him to go get the poorly thrown ball. One more positive with Hutchinson is his speed for a bigger wide receiver, as he shows a good burst off the line of scrimmage and routinely runs away from defenders in the open field.

— LSU’s Kayshon Boutte looks like he could be the ideal slot receiver in the NFL. One reason for this is his quickness off the ball which allows him to create separation. He also is a tough receiver who can handle the physicality of playing inside. This toughness also helps him as a blocker and he should have no trouble blocking safeties or cracking on a linebacker. One area he does need to work on though is catching the ball in traffic, as he only caught 28% of the passes he had to battle defenders for.

—Look for Ohio State wide receiver Julian Fleming to have a breakout season this year. Fleming came to Ohio State as the top-ranked receiver in the 2018 class, but has battled injuries during his career and had to compete for playing time with players like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Now that Olave and Wilson are off to the NFL, it should open the door for Fleming to make a much bigger impact than the 12 receptions he had in 2021. When looking at his NFL potential, two things stand out about Fleming, with the first one being his versatility to play either slot or the more traditional X-role. The other is his athletic ability, which allows him to consistently get open. Going into the 2022 season Fleming carries a sixth-round grade, but look for that grade to rise dramatically if he makes the impact Ohio State coaches expect him to make this year.

— In the NFC West preview part of this article, we mentioned how the Seattle Seahawks have major questions at the quarterback position and will need to address this need next off-season. One player Seattle will strongly consider next April is Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Young has a similar style of play as former Seahawks’ quarterback Russell Wilson. Both players are undersized passers who thrive when things break down. If Seattle is to land Young though, they will need to be picking in the top five next year.

Prediction of the week

The Miami Dolphins will win the AFC East this year.