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NFL power rankings: NFC West defensive rankings
NFL power rankings: NFC West defensive rankings
Jess Root, Cardinals WireMon, Jun 29, 2026·1 min readThe Los Angeles Rams made a big move earlier in the month acquiring reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, bolstering their defense after they added cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. But what does that mean for their defense comparatively?
USA TODAY ranked all 32 NFL teams' defenses. Did the Rams move to No. 1?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThey didn't, but what does the NFC West look like? The Arizona Cardinals aren't expected to be good. Where do they rank, and what about their division rivals?
No. 1: Seattle Seahawks
There shouldn't be much debate about the Seahawks' standing after their title run. Not only did Seattle top the league in defensive DVOA, it also set the pace in points per drive (1.48) and yards allowed per carry (3.7). Its most definitive statement, however, came in the Super Bowl 60 dismantling of the Patriots' second-ranked scoring attack. The rout highlighted Seattle's proclivity for letting a deep stable of contributors in on the action, a dynamic that helps quell any concern about the minor offseason attrition. The singular success of the "Dark Side" defense has been cemented. Now, how about a sequel?
They were dominant, leading them to the championship. They have stud defensive linemen in Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy. They have playmaking defensive backs.
Head coach Mike Macdonald has been amazing with the defense.
No. 4: LA Rams
The league's best? Not yet. It's understandable that some might be prepared to crown what might already be the league's most robust set of defensive starters after the arrivals of Garrett, McDuffie and Watson. But Los Angeles hasn't exhibited the same resiliency as the other top-notch outfits, especially as it comes off last season's late collapse against the pass. Still, it might not be long before it becomes fully clear what the Rams are about to unleash on the rest of the NFL. Garrett gives defensive coordinator Chris Shula a figure who will prompt offenses to collapse into themselves in anticipation of his game-wrecking capabilities, as well as someone who substantially alleviates the ask on the secondary. If the Rams ascend to elite territory, it won't surprise anyone. For now, though, any such proclamation is premature.
They might be the best, but we have to see it. They have the best pass rusher in the league and already had a productive Byron Young. Their defensive interior is great. They have good linebackers. They upgraded the secondary.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt was their weakness last season closing out the season. It won't be next season.
No. 23: San Francisco 49ers
It's almost impossible to judge the 49ers off a year in which they lost edge rushers Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams and perennial All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner in the early going. Yet even a full return to health doesn't set everything straight for San Francisco. Raheem Morris, the team's fifth coordinator in as many years, will have to revitalize a defense that no longer meets its previous lofty standards. Getting Bosa and Williams back should prove meaningful in resuscitating what was easily the league's most lackluster pass rush, but the addition of disruptive defensive tackle Osa Odihizuwa indicated that general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan understood external help was required to jolt the front.
They will get Nick Bosa and Fred Warner back. They get back 2025 first-round pick Mykel Williams as well. Injuries devastated the defense. They have a new coordinator, but it feels like this is a little lower than they should be.
No. 30: Arizona Cardinals
A series of short-term health setbacks denied Arizona's defense any chance at coming together in 2025. With better fortune on that front and new coach Mike LaFleur retaining defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, perhaps some semblance of continuity will emerge in the fall. Still, the Cardinals didn't bring aboard any true difference-makers in free agency before ignoring that side of the ball through the first two days of the draft. This is a franchise stuck in a holding pattern, and its defense looks likely to remain in limbo.
The fact they aren't ranked last is a surprise. They were one of the worst units in the NFL. They lost Calais Campbell and Jalen Thompson and added nothing to the defensive edge, where they struggled. And they have the same coordinator that ran their bad defense for the last three years.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: NFL power rankings: NFC West defensive rankings