NFC West stock up, down: Slow, undrafted rookie WR impresses
With the preseason behind us, here's a look at whose stock is up and down in the NFC West ahead of the start of the regular season.
Stock up
Jake Bobo, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver: Bobo is the ultimate stock-up player and a great example why the preseason can be so important. He was an undrafted free agent out of UCLA after posting a dreadful 4.99-second time in the 40-yard dash (h/t seahawks.com). The Seahawks took a chance on him anyway and he has rewarded them.
In the preseason, Bobo made plays, including two catches for 27 yards and a touchdown in the preseason finale. The Seahawks have an outstanding receiver corps with D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and 2023 first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Bobo is a big — albeit slow — target at the bottom of the depth chart.
Cameron Thomas, Arizona Cardinals linebacker: There is not a lot to like about this roster, but Thomas has a chance to be a bright spot. The second-year linebacker seems on the verge of a breakout season.
With J.J. Watt and Markus Golden — the top pass-rushers from last year's team — no longer on the roster, Thomas will get many chances to impress. As a rookie a season ago, he had three sacks in limited playing time. He had two more in the preseason.
Evan Brown, Seattle Seahawks center: Over the past six seasons, the interior of the offensive line has been a problem, especially at center, where no player lasted longer than a season. To fix the problem this offseason, Seattle signed veteran Brown and drafted Michigan standout Olu Oluwatimi in the second round.
Brown, a starter in Detroit the past two seasons, seems to have taken hold of the job with his performance in camp and in preseason. Oluwatimi, meanwhile, missed time due to injury. The Seahawks are loaded with skill-position players, so it's imperative the offensive line jell for the offense to roll.
Stock down
John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers general manager: The Trey Lance situation seems so bad for Lynch that it almost overshadows all the good he has done building a playoff-caliber roster.
In trading Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick last week, the GM basically told the football world he blew it in 2021 by dealing three first-round picks (and a third-rounder) to Miami to take Lance with the No. 3 overall pick. The only way Lynch comes away looking good here is if QB Brock Purdy — the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft — leads the team to a Super Bowl. If Purdy doesn't pan out, the Lance trade will go down as one of the worst in NFL history.
San Francisco 49ers kickers: The kicking situation stinks. Zane Gonzalez and Jake Moody are injured. The latter did not inspire much confidence with his performance prior to getting hurt. The 49ers used a third-round pick on Moody, a high pick for a kicker.
Punter Mitch Wishnowsky kicked in the final preseason game, missing his only attempt (an extra point). Gonzalez and Moody are considered week-to-week, and it is unknown if either will be ready for Week 1 at Pittsburgh.
Stetson Bennett, Los Angeles Rams quarterback: After a strong showing in his preseason debut, Bennett looked overmatched in his last two games (19-of-33, zero touchdowns, three picks). He has limited upside due to his lack of size (5-foot-11, 190 pounds), arm strength and his age (25). He may not even be ready to back up starter Matthew Stafford.
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