NFC West projected offensive starters by position

If the idea every season is to make the playoffs, then the goal is to be better than the other teams in your division. It is possible now that with an expanded postseason that the last place team in the NFC West could still make the playoffs, but coaches can’t be hoping to sneak in as the basement team.

The San Francisco 49ers had the division’s best offensive line, the best tight end, and by the time he started getting double-digit carries, Raheem Mostert did look like the best running back in the West too. And the 49ers did pretty well last season.

It would be pertinent then to know how the LA Rams stack up against the rest of the division, position-by-position. It’s not the picture we typically look at when thinking of a team’s place in a division, but I think it can be helpful to break down. By doing so, I think my first thought is that the 49ers are going to be good again.

And the Arizona Cardinals — at least on offense — could be as good or better.

Then again, the Seattle Seahawks have the division’s most experienced and proven quarterback, and the Rams likely have the best 1-2 at receiver, though Arizona is boasting a unique pair on the outside themselves. LA also has a few other players who have obvious contention for best in the division, like Andrew Whitworth and Cam Akers, and exceptional receivers at tight end.

I won’t leave any other comment and I’ll let you decide for yourselves.

QB

49ers - Jimmy Garoppolo

Cardinals - Kyler Murray

Rams - Jared Goff

Seahawks - Russell Wilson

RB

49ers - Raheem Mostert

Cardinals - Kenyan Drake

Rams - Cam Akers

Seahawks - Chris Carson

WR

49ers - Deebo Samuel

Cardinals - DeAndre Hopkins

Rams - Robert Woods

Seahawks - Tyler Lockett

WR

49ers - Brandon Aiyuk

Cardinals - Larry Fitzgerald

Rams - Cooper Kupp

Seahawks - DK Metcalf

WR

49ers - Trent Taylor

Cardinals - Christian Kirk

Rams - Van Jefferson

Seahawks - Phillip Dorsett

TE

49ers - George Kittle

Cardinals - Maxx Williams

Rams - Tyler Higbee+Gerald Everett

Seahawks - Greg Olsen+Will Dissly

LT

49ers - Trent Williams

Cardinals - D.J. Humphries

Rams - Andrew Whitworth

Seahawks - Duane Brown

LG

49ers - Laken Tomlinson

Cardinals - Justin Pugh

Rams - Austin Corbett

Seahawks - Mike Iupati

C

49ers - Weston Richburg

Cardinals - Mason Cole

Rams - Brian Allen

Seahawks - B.J. Finney

RG

49ers - Tom Compton

Cardinals - J.R. Sweezy

Rams - Austin Blythe

Seahawks - Damien Lewis

RT

49ers - Mike McGlinchey

Cardinals - Marcus Gilbert

Rams - Rob Havenstein

Seahawks - Brandon Shell

Key Other Players

49ers - RB Jerick McKinnon, FB Kyle Juszczyk, RB Tevin Coleman, WR Jalen Hurd

Cardinals - RB Chase Edmonds, WR Andy Isabella, WR Hakeem Butler, OT Josh Jones, WR KeeSean Johnson

Rams - RB Darrell Henderson, RB Malcolm Brown, OL David Edwards, OL Joseph Noteboom, OL Bobby Evans, WR Josh Reynolds, TE Brycen Hopkins

Seahawks - RB Rashaad Penny, RB Carlos Hyde, WR David Moore, TE Colby Parkinson, TE Jacob Hollister, OL Cedric Ogbuehi

Notes