Did the Rams Blow the NFL Draft? Way-Too-Early NFC West 2026 Predictions
Did the Los Angeles Rams blow a valuable chance to threaten the defending champion Seattle Seahawks by looking too much towards the future in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Rams had the No. 13 selection and could have taken a wide receiver that might have given them the extra edge over the stout Seahawks defense going into the new year.
Instead, the Rams planned for the future, taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, who we will probably not see at all during 2026 unless for an injury to reigning MVP Matthew Stafford.
Yet, the Rams did do some good work in free agency. Is it enough to make them the favorites in the NFC West?
Here are my way-too-early predictions about the best division in the NFL.
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1. Seattle Seahawks
If you want to beat the champ, you gotta beat the champ. Seattle is the top dog (or birds, in this case) until proven otherwise, and they’re bringing back a majority of their stifling defense that seemed to quiet every team in football except for the Rams.
Sam Darnold will have full confidence after winning the Lombardi Trophy, and we could see him raise his ceiling even more in his second year in the Seattle offense.
2. Los Angeles Rams
Although the Rams didn’t go all-in to win a Super Bowl at the draft this year, they are still equal to the Seahawks in overall talent.
While they didn’t upgrade much in the draft for 2026, they did in free agency, trading their No. 29 pick to the Kansas Chiefs for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and then signing his secondary partner, Jaylen Watson, alongside him.
Cornerbacks were the biggest weakness for the Rams last season, and with that improved, a Super Bowl is on the table for L.A, regardless of who they drafted.
3. San Francisco 49ers
Can San Francisco stay healthy?
If they do, they are as good as the Seahawks and Rams, albeit maybe a bit older and at the end of their window.
And even if they aren’t, we’ve seen this franchise continue to reinvent itself and adapt to everything thrown at it.
The 49ers might be the third-best team in the NFC West and still be considered the third-best team in all of football.
4. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are a fractured team facing a long rebuild in a division with three teams that all believe they can win a Super Bowl next season.
But hey, if it all leads to Arch Manning wearing a Cardinals jersey, it’ll be worth it.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 8:43 PM.