The NFL’s free agent flow looks a little different in the first week of the new league year. How does this affect the perception of the team?
The Arizona Cardinals are considered a team that will struggle, and their position in the new free-agent power rankings released by NFL.com’s Eric Edholm reflects that. But what about the entire NFC West division in which the Cardinals must compete?
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The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl and the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams both made the playoffs. All took steps to improve.
Where do they rank?
NFL Power Rankings and NFC West after free agency
The NFC West has three teams in the top five, followed by the Cardinals.
Seattle Seahawks, No. 1 overall
It’s certainly heartbreaking to watch Kenneth Walker III, Boy Maffei, and Kobe Bryant leave, but the Seahawks are still in very respectable form as far as defending champions go. They were able to retain Rasheed Shahid and the rising Josh Jobe, and Seattle has the funds to retain the aforementioned veteran trio if needed, so we’ll respect those decisions for now. The Seahawks brought in some cheaper free agents to fill position holes, and the draft could also help solidify the position. Seattle only has four picks in the 2026 draft, but only one of them is outside the top 100. General manager John Schneider has worked draft magic in the past — turning four picks into 11 via trades in 2019 — so it’s impossible to know what the Eagles will end up with. But for now, I see no reason to demote the champion in order to regain the title.
They are still at the top of the list. Losing Walker, Mefe and Bryant is tough, and the running back position is a question mark since Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in the playoffs.
But talent-wise, they look good from top to bottom, and head coach Mike McDonald’s job last season makes them a favorite heading into 2026.
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Los Angeles Rams, No. 2 overall
The Rams are looking like Super Bowl contenders this offseason, and rightfully so. They wasted no time targeting areas of greatest need in the secondary, adding Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, and they don’t appear to be done yet. Even after trading a first-rounder, they still have another player at No. 13 overall. The offensive line is an area I’d like them to target, and with Davante Adams approaching the end of the line and Tutu Atwell departing, wide receiver could also be on the menu. The Rams’ pick distribution is typically odd, with three picks in the first 93 picks, none in the next 113 picks and four picks after No. 207. Los Angeles is not expected to end up with the same pick, as general manager Les Snead always has his finger on the trigger. The Rams are looking for another championship in Matthew Stafford’s age-38 season.
The Rams’ problems late in the year came with their defense, so they brought in better players in the secondary. They may be the most talented team in the NFC and if Stafford maintains the level he played at last season, they will be a tough team to beat.
San Francisco 49ers, No. 5 overall
The always-reliable Mike Evans joins the 49ers, an upgrade for a receiver corps that had to endure injuries and the bizarre absence of Brandon Aiyuk last season. Assuming the health issues Evans had last year don’t recur, Evans could become a mentor to young receivers like Ricky Pearsall and help Brock Purdy become a consistent threat on the outside. Adding Osa Odighizuwa seems like a smart and fairly cheap way to address early pressure needs, but the 49ers still need an outside rushing threat. The sudden retirement of San Francisco’s 2025 co-sack leader Bryce Huff (of four!) further exacerbates the problem. The Niners are trying to keep up with the Seahawks and Rams, who are still two of the best teams in the NFL.
They moved up three spots from the previous set of power rankings. They added two more quality pass catchers due to receiver availability issues, although Evans and Kirk are also injury-prone.
Arizona Cardinals, No. 32 overall
I actually kind of like some of Arizona’s free agents, including OG Isaac Seumalo and RB Tyler Allgeier, but it’s hard to ignore the bigger picture. The Cardinals still have a lot to figure out. I believe the offensive line is not finished despite adding some skilled tackles. The defensive line still needs reinforcements, even with all the draft picks they’ve allocated over the past few years. Yes, the quarterback remains a mystery. Now it’s Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew, who knows? The Cardinals may have to pull the trigger if a draft quarterback like Alabama’s Ty Simpson tempts them. Waiting until 2027 to address this issue might guarantee another last-place finish, but then again, it might take a miracle to avoid the basement of a crowded NFC West anyway.
Well, it’s not worse than the last place. They’re down three spots from before free agency. Can you blame anyone for ranking them here?
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: NFL Power Rankings: How’s the NFC West looking after free agency?
