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The NFC West has been dominated mainly by the San Francisco 49ers, who have won the division an impressive 22 times since it was officially formed in 1970.
Unsurprisingly, the sportsbooks project San Francisco to win its 23rd division title.
However, with two other NFC West teams coming off winning seasons, it might be more complex than it seems.
Let’s dive into each team’s projected win totals and their moves this offseason (odds via FanDuel):
49ers: 11.5 wins (+108/-132)
The 49ers fell just short of their championship aspirations last year, losing to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
Not much changes, as San Francisco will continue to have one of the best defenses in the NFL.
However, this team still has many variables, including the futures of wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.
Will the 49ers trade one or keep both?
The answer appears to be the former after they drafted wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round, but there has not been any recent news to indicate that is the case.
San Francisco will need De’Vondre Campbell to fill Dre Greenlaw’s shoes this season, as Greenlaw is unlikely to return from an Achilles tear he suffered in the Super Bowl.
Additionally, the new-look defensive-line might need a few games to develop cohesion.
The Niners will again be one of the best teams in the NFC, but this division will be more challenging than last year.
Rams: 8.5 wins (-144/+118)
The Rams’ most significant offseason news was the retirement of Aaron Donald, one of the greatest defensive players of all time.
This leaves an obvious hole in what was a surprisingly solid trench unit last season, but Los Angeles traded up in the second round for Braden Fiske in hopes of making its D-line serviceable.
The Rams also patched up their secondary by signing Darious Williams, Kamren Curl, and Tre’Davious White, and should be slightly improved on defense despite losing Donald.
Offensively, Puka Nacua’s emergence and Cooper Kupp’s dominance will continue to make Matthew Stafford’s life easy.
Still, the Rams’ upside lies entirely with the effectiveness of these defensive signings and the team’s ability to move on in the post-Donald era.
Seahawks: 7.5 wins (-138/+112)
Pete Carroll was fired in favor of Mike Macdonald, the former Ravens defensive coordinator.
Macdonald hopes to rejuvenate what was a porous defense in 2023, but it’ll be challenging, considering the Seahawks let Jordyn Brooks, Bobby Wagner and Damien Lewis walk in free agency.
Luckily, the Seahawks re-signed Leonard Williams and drafted Byron Murphy II.
They hope that tandem can will improve the interior defense, which allowed opponents the second-most rushing yards per game.
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Cardinals: 7.5 wins (+124/-152)
At the beginning of last season, Arizona was forced to start Joshua Dobbs under center as Kyler Murray was still recovering from a torn ACL.
The Cardinals went 1-7 record with Dobbs but had more success with Murray, winning three of their next eight games.
Drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. and pairing him with tight end Trey McBride finally gives Murray something to be excited about; however, despite the addition of Jonah Williams, the quarterback will still have to constantly make plays with his feet due to what will be a very volatile offensive line.
The most glaring issue should need no introduction: the defense.
The Cardinals’ defense is a disaster in every facet, forcing Murray, Harrison and McBride to put up massive numbers weekly if they want a chance to win.
NFC West best bet
After a slow start in 2023, Sean McVay and the Rams turned things around, winning seven of their final eight regular-season games to make the playoffs.
The Rams fell just one point short of a road upset against Detroit in the first round, but there was a lot to like about the team’s direction and momentum.
Even without Donald, the Rams should be a playoff-caliber team again and won’t have much trouble eclipsing their win total of 8.5 (-144).
Best Bet: Rams Over 8.5 wins (-144, FanDuel)