Let’s start a 8-week journey where each Monday I break down and predict records for every NFL division starting with the NFC West. The San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and Arizona Cardinals make up one of the most competitive divisions in football, and most of you reading are 49ers fans, so I figured we might as well start with the West. I’ll be breaking down each team’s roster including notes about last year, improvements they’ve made in the offseason, and ultimately how I believe they'll perform in the 2025 NFL season.
Arizona Cardinals
Prediction: 6-11
The Cardinals made every game competitive last season under first year head coach Jonathan Gannon even without much talent on the roster. They’ll be much more talented this year after having eight picks in the top 104 and landing a potential superstar WR Marvin Harrison Jr with the 4th overall pick. I am a fan of many of the Cardinal's picks but having to rely on so many young players will make it hard on them to have a winning season. Kyler Murray is also a question mark. He showed glimpses of his immense potential in the eight games he played in last season after returning from his ACL injury, but he needs to prove he can stay healthy and play with more consistently. Wins shouldn’t be the determining factor for success in the desert this year, as it’s much more important that they hit on their early picks, develop some of them into stars, and have Kyler prove he can be a franchise QB. If all of those things happen Arizona will be one of the scarier teams in 2025.
Los Angeles Rams
Prediction: 7-10
The Rams might have a top ten offense in the league, but I don’t believe this defense can survive without Aaron Donald. Rookie defensive lineman Jared Verse and Braden Fiske should already have some chemistry after both being picked from Florida State, but it’s hard to ask two rookies and a second year DT Kobie Turner to carry a poor defense to an average level. The rest of their defense is either also incredibly young, or injury prone. Offensively, Stafford is still playing at a high level, and Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp are both great players, but their OL might hold them back from being elite. Free agent guards Kevin Dotson and Jonah Jackson should help, but continuity is vital for OL groups, so it might take some time for them to gel together. I like the moves the Rams made but year one without Aaron Donald will be too much of a mess for them to compete.
Seattle Seahawks
Prediction: 9-8
The Seahawks seem to have the same strengths and weaknesses as they did last year, even under new HC Mike Macdonald. Their offensive line is not a good group, with their interior being very questionable and their right tackle having major injury concerns. On the bright side, they have great skill position players led by WRs DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and RBs Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, who should keep their offensive floor high. Defensively, I don’t believe Macdonald has the versatility in the front seven to do as many stunts or disguising coverage looks like Baltimore did last year. Their pass rush is also lacking, but Macdonald proved last year he is capable of getting players, especially up front, to play to their full potential. First round rookie DT Byron Murphy should help tremendously once he reaches his pro bowl potential, but we shouldn’t expect him to be Justin Madubuike from day one. Their offense will need to carry the defense this year, and Geno will need to prove he can continue his above average QB play under new OC Ryan Grubb’s aggressive passing attack. The Seahawks should compete for a playoff spot this season.
San Francisco 49ers
Prediction: 14-3
How does a team that came a few plays away from a Super Bowl win get better? Well, they fix their defense by hiring a new DC, don’t trade away their best players, bring in new players that can make a difference, and have major improvement from their young stars. The 49ers did all of these in the offseason, first by hiring new DC Nick Sorensen from within, who won’t be asked to run a scheme he is not familiar with like Steve Wilks was. Then, even with all the rumors swirling, they kept both star WRs Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, and drafted a rookie WR, Ricky Pearsall, who should help them beat press man coverage much more often than they did last season. Lastly, and in my opinion most importantly, Brock Purdy has been able to go through a full offseason for the first time. He won’t have to be rehabbing a torn UCL or be going through a rookie minicamp like he had to during the last two off-season’s, and instead will be able to focus solely on improving his game. If everyone stays healthy, this offense should be the best in the league. The defense could also come back to a top ten level if Talanoa Hufanga comes back from his ACL at full strength, Dre Greenlaw comes back by at least mid-season, and free agent additions De’Vondre Campbell, Maliek Collins, Yetur Gross-Matos, and Leonard Floyd fill in for Greenlaw and free agent losses Arik Armstead and Chase Young. The 49ers should be the favorites to win it all this season.
Photos by Paul Sancya, AP Photos, and Getty Images
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