Will Rams’ Division Rival Improve Defensively?

The Los Angeles Rams are looking to win the NFC West in back-to-back seasons, they'll have to if they want to meet their lofty expectations of Super Bowl or bust. Last year it came down to the wire, and next season projects to be as hard or even harder than last season.

The Rams' off-season improvements have made them a better team, but their divisional rivals have improved as well. The Seattle Seahawks' personnel changes could work out for them, and the San Francisco 49ers will benefit from an easier schedule.

The Arizona Cardinals had a great all-around draft and have a lot of things to look forward to. If the Seahawks' changes don't work out, they've effectively bowed out of the race for the NFC West. The 49ers were banged up last season, and if their injuries persist, this could be another lost season in San Francisco.

This scenario would leave the Rams and Cardinals as the two teams battling it out for the division. The biggest thing the Cardinals can bank on is the continued development of Marvin Harrison Jr. after what was a disappointing rookie year.

He's put on some muscle, and if he continues to develop chemistry with Kyler Murray, this team can be a legitimate threat to the Rams' hopes of winning their division. Garrett Podell is a sports writer for CBS Sports, and he believes the biggest thing to monitor for the Cardinals is if their defense can step up and improve from last season.

"Jonathan Gannon's Arizona Cardinals made the leap from being the NFL's second-worst scoring defense (26.8 points per game allowed in 2023) to being league average (22.3 points per game allowed in 2024, 15th in NFL in 2024). 

Now, he has a legit defensive line after an offseason in which Arizona signed his former Eagles pupil Josh Sweat (four years, $76.4 million) and veteran defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (two years, $29 million) before drafting Ole Miss All-American defensive tackle Walter Nolen 16th overall.

That group could help lift this unit to new heights. More will be asked of Michigan All-American cornerback Will Johnson, CBS Sports' top-ranked cornerback prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. He fell to the Arizona Cardinals in the second round with the 47th overall pick.

The reason for that happening was a reported knee issue that could impact his NFL longevity. Johnson also missed seven games in 2024 with the Wolverines, thanks to toe and shoulder injuries. A hamstring injury also prevented him from participating in Michigan's Pro Day in the spring.

If he's on the field and moving well, the rookie can ball. He surrendered the second-lowest passer rating when targeted (31.0) in college football throughout his three-season career from 2022-24. Johnson will need to look like that guy in a hurry with Sean Murphy-Bunting now out for the season".

The Rams don't have to worry about their defense, as it will only be better next season. Their offense has improved as well, but it should still be something they can keep an eye on in the off-season. Johnson and Harvison Jr. aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so the Rams better get adjusted to them quickly.