Every NFC West Team's Most Underrated Player

Will Johnson is the talk of the town for the Cardinals after the ultra-talented prospect fell all the way to the second round for the team. His future could be the Cards' no.1 cover man, and he's got plenty of teammates to play on the opposite side of him.

One of those players is Thomas - and I can't believe how little he gets talked about.

Thomas quietly started 15 of 17 games last season for Arizona, recording 47 tackles and breaking up six passes. He also started seven of 12 games in 2023 with 38 tackles and five break-ups. Despite being a former undrafted free agent, Thomas has made his presence felt in the desert.

Sure, Thomas may be an "average" defender, but he's severely overplaying the worth the league assigned him coming out of college. He's a dependable player and a likely starter until further notice for the Cardinals.

HM: Dante Stills

Hi there, it's me again -- the president of the Dante Stills fan club. I'm here to give you another reminder that Stills is a stud down lineman who has also outplayed his former draft position. Arizona may have reforged its defensive line this offseason, but Stills will still play a big role in the front seven regardless.

Los Angeles Rams: Alaric Jackson

Name the best left tackles in the NFL and let me know when you get to Jackson... If you named more than ten, then you need to hear me on this: Jackson is one of the ten best blindside blockers in football. At no worst he's top 15, but he's flat out someone that needs more love than he's getting.

Jackson was somehow undrafted back in 2021 and even back then I thought it was insane. He's lived up to those like me who thought he never should've been in that situation. Jackson got some time to get his feet wet before becoming a full-time starter the last two seasons. It appears that all that marinating allowed him to blossom into a star.

I'm not sure how much longer people will continue to sleep on Jackson, but it should hopefully end soon. He's a bonafide stud left tackle and a key to the Rams offense staying on track.

HM: Byron Young

Young may be the fourth name you think of when discussing the Rams top pass rushers and that's a shame. In his two seasons, Young has compiled 15.5 sacks and forced three fumbles. For a player who many are likely unfamiliar with, that's beyond impressive. I could see LA's top four pass rushers all top double-digit sacks this year and Young is extremely capable of such.

San Francisco 49ers: Renardo Green

Defensive backs for the 49ers rarely get the flowers and that's been the case for as long as I can remember. Charvarius Ward was a stud the last few seasons for SF, but he was a free agent addition and has since moved on.

Former fifth-round pick Deommodore Lenoir has outplayed his draft position and is a plus-starter. But, I am most intrigued by last year's second round pick.

Green took little time to become a contributor for this defense. The Florida State product led the defense with 13 pass breakups as a rookie to go with 61 tackles, one pick, and one forced fumble. He was a difference maker out the gate and he's likely only going to get better.

Don't be surprised when Green becomes a household name in San Francisco this season, and be equally unsurprised when he starts locking down his NFC West rivals. To help paint a picture for Cardinals fans -- Green is to the 49ers what Garrett Williams is to the Cardinals.

HM: Ricky Pearsall

Pearsall missed six games last season after being literally shot by a gun and managed to post a flat 400 yards and three scores. He will see a much larger role this season after Deebo Samuel was traded and with Brandon Aiyuk recovering from a knee injury.

In a Kyle Shanahan offense, Pearsall could put up big numbers as the team's potential top deep threat.

Seattle Seahawks: Coby Bryant

Bryant struggled to transition to the pros over his first two seasons after playing opposite Sauce Gardner back in college. However, everything clicked last season after first-year head coach and defensive mastermind Mike Macdonald took control of the team.

The solution was a simple move from cornerback to safety. However, it has seemingly changed the direction of his career moving forward.

Bryant used his instincts as a cornerback and applied them to his new spot roaming the backend of the defense. It led to the first three interceptions of his career and an overall much more effective defensive back.

Bryant is entering a contract season and if he continues to improve in his new role then we could see a nice pay increase next offseason.

In a secondary full of underrated stars, Bryant is perhaps the most slept on of them all.

HM: Jarran Reed

Reed is going into his tenth season in the pros and yet I still never hear his praises sung as one of the league's best interior defenders. The 306 lbs big man has 11.5 sacks over the last two seasons and is perhaps more reliable than their outside rushers have been.

He doesn't appear to be slowing down even now in his 30s, and his head coach will continue finding ways to make him excel.