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The NFC West has remained one of the more competitive divisions in the NFL and has remained as such for over a decade and a lot of that has to do with the talent in the division and the trenches for all four teams in any given year.
The Los Angeles Rams bolster a sufficient offensive line with a mixture of high-ceiling, quality talents and veteran blockers that have become mainstays of the roster. Right tackle Rob Havenstein has been a leader and reliable player for the Rams for several years, leading a group that features Alaric Jackson at left tackle, left guard Steve Avila, free agent signee center Coleman Shelton, and right guard Kevin Dotson.
It is the Rams' offensive line that has helped stabilize head coach Sean McVay's offense and given quarterback Matthew Stafford a group he can trust up front to give him time in the pocket. How do they compare to the rest of the NFC West and their respective rivals? Let's take a closer look at the three other teams from the division.
Seattle Seahawks
There are some unknowns with the Seahawks offensive line heading into the year. With Sam Darnold's flaws in handling pressure, having a competent unit up front is key. Seattle did their best with the selections of guard Grey Zabel in the first round and Bryce Cabeldue in round six, but questions remain.
There will be competition at right guard with Anthony Bradford, Cabeldue, and Christian Haynes. Olu Oluwatimi has progressed as a player but enters a critical third season while Abraham Lucas enters a contract season with average play in recent seasons. Left tackle Charles Cross has remained the constant of the group, emerging as a potential franchise cornerstone.
Arizona Cardinals
With Kyler Murray entering a must-prove campaign in Arizona, protection up front is important for this franchise. Former first-round pick Paris Johnson Jr. has quickly become a quality left tackle for the franchise and right tackle Jonah Williams seems to have found some steadiness, posting his highest Pro Football Focus grade since 2021.
The entire of the unit is where the questions are raised. Isaiah Adams and Evan Brown are sufficient to replacement level starters that have much to prove this season and there is as a chance interior pressure could be an issue this season. Thankfully, Hjalte Froholdt has emerged as a adequate player at center and will be a key piece to consistency up front.
San Francisco 49ers
Of all of the offensive lines in the NFC West, San Francisco may have the most upside with their youth upfront. It all starts with Trent Williams, one of the best offensive tackles in the game entering his 15th season as a former Top 5 draft choice in 2010. This unit was sufficient last season but struggled near the end of the year when he missed time due to injury, showing his importance.
While his long-term successor is still to be determined, the 49ers have an emerging star at right guard with second-year Dominick Puni, who was a terrific player in the middle of their offense line. Ben Bartch will be competing for the left guard spot with Spencer Burford but both have high-ceiling capabilities. Jake Brendel has become a sufficient player at center while right tackle Colton McKivitz had his best season last year.
Which offensive line is the best in the NFC West?
I love the upside that San Francisco provides, especially with Puni's emergence. However, I'm sticking with the Rams offensive line as the best offensive line unit in the NFC West.
This is a group that remained consistent, steady, and quiet, which is what you would like to have with an offensive line. The less noise they make, the better they are performing. Los Angeles has a quality group of front, though questions about Havenstein's long-term availability are fair to ask.
Even so, the Rams success in 2025 begins and ends with their performance in the trenches, especially along their offensive front.
More must-reads:
- Five potential landing spots for Christian Wilkins after stunning Raiders release
- Sizzling AFC training-camp position battles
- The 'Single-season sack leaders by NFL team' quiz
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Releasing Christian Wilkins Proves Spytek, and the Raiders Mean Business
Since taking over as the general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders, John Spytek and Raiders Head Coach, Pete Carroll, have emphasized how critical it will be for them to establish a new culture for their team. After years of subpar play, the Raiders needed to improve their culture equally as much as they needed to improve their roster. Spytek wasted no time significantly improving the Raiders' roster, adding Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty this offseason. Although a culture change usually takes more than offseason, the Raiders may have expedited the process by releasing veteran defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. The organization and Wilkins were not on the same page in regard to his rehab, pushing the Raiders to make a drastic move. While drastic, the move appears to align with Spytek's intended composition of the Raiders' roster. At the NFL Combine months before Wilkins' recent release, the Raiders' general manager explained what he would take into consideration when assembling the Raiders' roster. While Spytek likely figured Wilkins would be part of the team at the time, his words rang true following the veteran defensive tackle's release. “I think we're going to have a lot of positive energy. The guys that love to compete and play with passion are going to have a chance at our place. And the guys that maybe don't have that love of the game, they like it, it's a means to an end, there probably won't be as many places or spaces for them at our place," Spytek said. "I think we want to set the tone with our film. When people watch a week or two out for our games coming, like they want to know, like this is going to be a battle, this is going to be physical, this is going to be old-school football." It is challenging to maintain positive energy when a player who has only played five games with the Silver and Black fails to uphold their end of a contract worth over $100 million. Shortly after releasing Wilkins, the Raiders issued the following statement. "We have decided that it is in the best interests of the organization to move on from Christian Wilkins. This franchise has a Commitment to Excellence on and off the field. With no clear path or plan for future return to play from Christian, this transaction is necessary for the entire organization to move forward and prepare for the new season." The Raiders' words spoke loudly enough, but they did not say nearly as loudly as the actual move of releasing Wilkins. Full details of why the Raiders decided to move on from Wilkins after just one season remain unclear, but one thing is clear: the Raiders' new-look front office means business. Find us on X (formerly Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and Instagram @HondoSr and weigh in on this take. While here, check out our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE to discuss this take
Chris Pronger to Connor McDavid: A Lost Edmonton Oilers Decade
In the spring of 2006, Chris Pronger was traded to the Edmonton Oilers. He then did something no one thought possible: he made the Edmonton Oilers a Stanley Cup contender again. That playoff run was legendary. Pronger logged enormous minutes, quarterbacked the power play, killed penalties, and led the team in scoring. In every zone and every moment, he was the difference-maker. He was the kind of player who gave an entire franchise a sense of direction—and belief. And then, just weeks after that Game 7 heartbreak in Carolina, he was gone. The Impact of the Oilers Losing a True No. 1 Blueliner Pronger’s trade request stunned the city and changed everything. Instead of building around a generational defenseman in his prime, the Oilers entered a prolonged decline. The team wouldn’t return to the playoffs for another decade. But what if he had stayed? It’s not just about Pronger’s elite play. It’s about the ripple effect of having that kind of presence anchoring a lineup. With Pronger in the fold, free agents might have been more willing to come. The team wouldn’t have scrambled to fill the void on the blue line with a carousel of short-term fixes. Young players could have developed under a true leader instead of inheriting pressure without support. The Oilers Championship Window Closed Too Soon The Oilers were close in 2006. It was not a fluke, but it was a team suddenly galvanized by elite goaltending from Dwayne Roloson, role players like Mike Peca, top-six grit like Ryan Smyth and Fernando Pisani, and above all, Pronger’s towering presence. Run it back even one more year, and who knows? A healthy Roloson, a stabilized core, and the confidence of a team that knew how close they came. Perhaps 2007 would be the season that ended differently for the Oilers. Instead, the Oilers lost their best player and wandered through the wilderness for ten years. How bad did the Oilers become? The 2006–07 season was a major disappointment in Edmonton, capped by the emotional deadline trade of fan favorite Smyth to the New York Islanders. That collapse marked the beginning of a long drought, as the team went on to miss the playoffs for 10 straight seasons until finally returning in 2016–17. Hockey Is Filled with What Ifs, the Oilers Are No Exception Hockey is full of what-ifs. But this one lingers. Because Pronger did come to Edmonton, and he did show what was possible. And for one electric spring, it looked like the Oilers had found the player who could lead them back to greatness. We just never got to find out how far that road might have gone. Fortunately, the team’s return to the playoffs in 2016–17 was spearheaded by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. And that’s where the team is today. It’s a new era of success, but it took ten years to get there.
Biggest impact of Josh Naylor trade may still be to come
While the Seattle Mariners landed an impact bat on Thursday night, their trade for Josh Naylor has also likely impacted the entire upcoming MLB trade deadline. On Thursday, Seattle sent a pair of top pitching prospects to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Naylor, with left-hander Brandyn Garcia (ranked as Seattle's 13th-best prospect by MLB.com) and right-hander Ashton Izzi (ranked as Seattle's 16th-best prospect by the same rankings) heading to the desert. Knowing what the Diamondbacks received in exchange for Naylor could well set the market for what is to come between now and the conclusion of the 2025 MLB trade deadline, set for 6 p.m. (Eastern) on July 31. The 28-year-old first baseman was ranked by The Athletic as the 17th-best trade candidate likely to be available, but ranked behind just one other first baseman (Baltimore's Ryan O'Hearn, who was slotted in at 16th). If Naylor brought in a pair of pitching prospects, including Garcia, who has appeared in two games this season for Seattle, the Diamondbacks could be salivating over what third baseman Eugenio Suarez and his 36 home runs could bring in return. All MLB teams who will be buying or selling at this year's trade deadline have had the first price bar set for them with the Naylor deal. Now it will be fascinating to see what comes next, especially knowing that Naylor will be a free agent at the end of this season. If Seattle gave up two pitching prospects for a player who could be a late-season rental only, imagine what the Minnesota Twins may be able to recoup for starting pitcher Joe Ryan (under team control through the 2027 season) or the Boston Red Sox might get back for outfielder Jarren Duran, who won't be a free agent until the 2029 campaign. While Naylor may not be the biggest move to come during this span before the trade deadline comes to a close, his deal could be the one that establishes selling prices for the trades that are to come. With so few MLB teams expected to be outright sellers, the price for available talent was expected to be high. We learned on Thursday night with the Naylor swap just how high those prices may go.
Commanders sign special teams standout to extension
The Washington Commanders are primed for a big season after surprising the league last year thanks to the brilliant play of Jayden Daniels. But the front office has done a great job of building the entire roster, not just the offense. On Thursday, the organization managed to extend one of its key contributors on special teams. Reports indicate that the Commanders are signing safety Percy Butler to a one-year contract extension, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Butler, who is 25 years old, excels as a gunner in Washington’s punt unit. “The Commanders have agreed to terms on a one-year extension with safety Percy Butler, per source. Locking up a special teams standout.” It’s an underrated position, as typically individuals think about offense and defense in terms of making an impact. But Butler has proven to be a reliable option for the Commanders’ special teams units, as he does a fantastic job at sprinting downfield after the kick to make the tackle. However, Percy Butler has stepped in as a safety as well throughout his three years in the NFL so far. Last season, Butler stepped in as the starting safety for five games, but made an appearance in all 17 contests. He ended the 2024-25 campaign with 47 combined tackles (29 solo), two tackles for a loss, and one pass deflection. Butler was a fourth-round pick by the Commanders in the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s done nothing but prove to be a consistent option in special teams, and looks like he’ll continue playing that role for quite some time. He, along with his teammates, will play their first game of the regular season on September 7 against the New York Giants. That should be a fun matchup for a Commanders team aiming for a big year. Although many don’t have high expectations for the Giants, it is a divisional contest. Typically, those games can go in any direction regardless of the record. Especially in a Week 1 game, where the NFL can be quite unpredictable. Either way, it should be a fun game.
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