Rams Warned About Breakout Stars in NFC West

As Sean McVay looks to win his fifth NFC West title in nine years, he needs to watch out for these three burgeoning superstars from his conference rivals.

Pro Football Focus' Jonathon Macri named potential breakout stars for the Cardinals, 49ers, and Seahawks. The issue is that Macri is correct on all three players.

Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr

"After big rookie seasons from first-round wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., Harrison – who was drafted ahead of both – may have had a disappointing year relative to expectations and compared to his peers." Wrote Macri. "However, there is hope, as Harrison’s catchable pass rate was among the worst in the league (59%) after seeing 114 passes thrown his way. He came away with just 62 receptions and 885 receiving yards. For context, the average amount of receptions and receiving yards for wide receivers with at least 100 targets last year was 85 receptions and 1,066 receiving yards. Catchable target rate is not a stable metric and should only regress positively for the 2024 fourth overall pick in Year 2."

Just because he didn't put up the same numbers as the duo from LSU, doesn't mean he had a bad season. The Cardinals failed to put out a complementary football team, and thus, Kyler Murray relied heavily on Trey McBride. With a more well-rounded roster, Harrison Jr should break the 1,000-yard threshold.

San Francisco 49ers: Renardo Green

"Green took on a larger role in the latter half of his rookie season, filling in for Charvarius Ward most often, which he’ll now have to do on a permanent basis. Green earned a 74.3 coverage grade and posted a 15.7% forced incompletion rate – both of which were top-20 marks at the position. With no significant competition brought in this offseason to help alleviate the Ward loss on the outside, there is at least some perceived confidence that the 2024 second-rounder can continue his strong play on a full-time basis."

With Robert Saleh as his defensive coordinator and $88 million man Deommodore Lenoir taking out the WR1, Green has the platform for a breakout, especially if Mykel Williams turns into the dominant pass rusher many expect him to become.

Seattle Seahawks: Byron Murphy Jr

"The Seahawks grabbed the top interior defensive lineman in the 2024 draft with the 16th overall pick, but his rookie year was a relatively quiet one with just a half-sack to his name on 244 pass-rush attempts. Expect a larger role for Murphy in Year 2, where he should be able to highlight more of that pass-rush upside that allowed him to deliver a 91.5 pass-rush grade in his final college season and 20.3% win rate on true-pass-sets, the seventh-best mark for his position in 2024."

2024 was a transitional year for the Seahawks, and with the addition of DeMarcus Lawrence to the defensive line and an improved defensive back room, Murphy Jr will have both the time and the advantageous matchups to cause havoc.

Three names the Rams must keep an eye on.