NFL Defensive Line Rankings: Which Team Is The Best In The NFC West?

The NFL position rankings continue, unswayed by the angry comments, deluge of email and incoherent Twitter babble. On Tuesday, the defensive line rankings came out at SB Nation. And where did the St. Louis Rams land on the list?

Number 17, that's where I put the Rams, based in large part on the presence of Chris Long, who has become one of the league's top pass rushers, my own personal homerism aside.

Chris Long has been one of the most productive and consistent edge rushers in the league over the last three seasons; if he played for any team other than the Rams, you might have heard of him. Robert Quinn had five sacks in limited work last season. In the middle, the team went young, using a first round pick on LSU's Michael Brockers, who helps against the run, and signing Kendall Langford away from the Dolphins will provide pressure from the inside.

I think you could make a case for them to be ranked higher and certainly there is an argument to have them lower. Lost in the discussion of these rankings is that they are completely my own opinion. Michael Brockers has yet to play a single snap in the NFL. While I'm in wait and see mode as to his potential as a pass rusher, I really do expect him to make an impact right away against the run.

We'll see how things play out this season. Right now, San Francisco has the best defensive line in the division and one of the best units in the NFL. Seattle isn't too far behind. Arizona's line also outranks the Rams' line, for now, thanks to an elite pair of ends in Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell.