NFC West 2020 Division Preview
Seattle Seahawks
Every year that the Seahawks have Russell Wilson at quarterback, they should be in the super bowl conversation. The number one player I'm watching in Seattle has to be DK Metcalf. Metcalf has the potential to be a top ten receiver in the NFL this year. He will be the player to watch in Seattle. Seattle's tight end room is super interesting, they have Greg Olsen who will catch a few touchdowns this year and Will Dissly who is a young stud. I expect Seattle to throw the ball out of a lot of two tight end sets. Seattle also has a sleeper running back room including two thousand yard rushers last season plus Rashaad Penny. I don't think that any of the three core RB's would be top ten guys alone, but together Seattle has the potential to be a top 10 rushing attack in 2020. Defensively, it's all about Jamal Adams. He's going to be the vocal leader on the defense and he's going to be a great pair with Bobby Wagner. I definitely think that they're missing a pass rusher. The hole that Jadeveon Clowney left is going to be bigger than they thought. The number one matchup I'm watching with the Seahawks is Jamal Adams vs George Kittle. Can Adams limit Kittle in the receiving game? The Seahawks are a playoff team, but they're going to struggle getting pressure on the quarterback. The Seahawks should try to either trade for a defensive end or make a bigger push to resign Jadeveon Clowney.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams have a lot of holes on their roster. They're also in arguably the best division in football, so it's going to be hard to rack up wins. That being said, I have faith in Sean McVay. He had a really rough season in 2019, but he's really good at self-scouting. He knows when it's time to switch things up and diversify his play book. Their big draft pick was Cam Akers, I wasn't super high on him coming out of the draft but if the Rams offensive line can be better than FSU's last year, he should have potential. I still feel like the Rams could use some help in the RB room, but I expect Akers to get better as the season progresses. This is going to be Cooper Kupp's breakout year. He has already proven that he can be a number one receiver, but this year he'll be top 10. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Van Jefferson can do. When watching his film, he was just so smooth. Everything he did was just clean, it almost reminded me of Ochocinco. They're going to miss Corey Littleton more than they thought. They need linebackers who can run with George Kittle and cover running backs out of the back field. They have a big hole at the linebacker position and other than Aaron Donald I'm not sure if they have a guy who can get to the quarterback. This is the best division in the NFL and the Rams will be the team that gets left behind.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are the flashiest team in the NFC. They have a lot of swag and are super young. I love Kyler Murray, he is one of the best quarterbacks I've ever seen coming out of college and he's going to have a huge second year. I love the way he keeps his eyes down field and his ability to throw on the run. With the addition of Deandre Hopkins, Kyler should be even better. I'm really worried about the Cardinals offensive line. They stole Josh Jones in the third round, but I believe this will be the weak link of their team. The Cardinals are going to have one of the best linebacker groups in the NFL, Isaiah Simmons is a true unicorn and will be the Cardinals best chance at containing George Kittle. I see Simmons having some growing pains and I'm not sure how Vance Joseph will use him on the defense. He needs to be playing all over the place, I don't just want him being an outside linebacker. I want to see him at defensive end, safety, inside linebacker, nickel... He can play every where and will be a guy that offensive coordinators circle in the meeting room. Chandler Jones is the most under-appreciated player in the entire NFL. He's such a beast, he's a future hall of famer. Not to mention they have Patrick Peterson (another future hall of famer) and Budda Baker in the secondary. This team is going to be a lot better than they were in 2019 and will be competing for a playoff spot in 2020.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are the most dangerous team in the NFL. We saw what Kyle Shanahan was able to do with HIS team last year and he'll be able to self-scout and become even better in 2020. Shanahan knows how to put his players in a position to succeed and that gets me really excited for a few different receivers: Jalen Hurd, Brandon Aiyuk, and Trent Taylor. All of these players are going to have big roles on the offense. Hurd will be the versatile guy who gets utilized in the red zone. Aiyuk will be the YAC guy who has the potential to have over 1,000 yards. Trent Taylor will be the Julian Edelman of this offense. Not to mention, the 49ers have Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne who should both take a huge step up in 2020. Deebo Samuel is going to be the number one in this offense. Once he heals up, he's going to take off. Kendrick Bourne will be more consistent this year then he's ever been. I'm really excited about their receiving core. I'm also really excited about Jerrick McKinnon. I've watched a ton of 49ers press conferences and a couple of guys (including Jimmy Garoppolo) have mentioned him and think he's going to explode onto the scene. They also have George Kittle completely healthy and Raheem Mostert back after his breakout season. Defensively, this team hasn't skipped a beat. They've got dogs up front and while Deforest Buckner will be missed, Javon Kinlaw is another animal. The 49ers have 10 of their 11 defensive starters back and should be competing for a super bowl once again in 2020.
Division Awards
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Brandon Aiyuk WR 49ers
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Isaiah Simmons LB Cardinals
Breakout Player: DK Metcalf WR Seahawks
New Division Member of the Year: Jamal Adams and Trent Williams
Division Standings
1. San Francisco 49ers 12-4
2. Seattle Seahawks 10-6
3. Arizona Cardinals 9-7
4. Los Angeles Rams 6-10
