NFL power rankings: How is the NFC West after free agency?

The NFL looks a bit different with player movement in free agency during the first week of the new league year. HOw does that impact how teams are viewed?

The Arizona Cardinals are viewed as a team that will struggle, and their spot in new post-free agency power rankings from NFL.com's Eric Edholm reflects that. But what about the entire NFC West, the division in which the Cardinals must compete?

The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl, and the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams all made the playoffs. All have made moves to improve.

Where do they rank?

NFL power rankings and the NFC West after free agency

The NFC West has three teams in the top five, and then there are the Cardinals.

Seattle Seahawks, No. 1 overall

Watching Kenneth Walker III, Boye Mafe and Coby Bryant leave had to sting, but as far as defending champs go, the Seahawks remain in very respectable shape. They were able to retain Rashid Shaheed and the ascending Josh Jobe, and Seattle had the funds to keep the aforementioned veteran trio if it wanted, so we'll respect those decisions for now. The Seahawks brought in some cheaper free agents to patch positional holes, and the draft can help buttress spots, as well. Seattle has just four picks in the 2026 draft, but only one of those is outside the top 100. GM John Schneider has worked draft magic in the past -- turning four picks into 11 via trades back in 2019 -- so it's impossible to know what the 'Hawks end up with. But for now, I have no reason to demote the champs in their effort to repeat.

They remain at the top spot. Losing Walker, Mafe and Bryant are tough, and the running back position is a question mark because Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in the postseason.

But they look good from top to bottom in terms of talent, and the work head coach Mike Macdonald did last season make them favorites entering 2026.

LA Rams, No. 2 overall

The Rams have approached this offseason like they're Super Bowl contenders, and rightfully so. They wasted no time targeting the biggest area of need in the secondary, adding Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, and they don't appear done. Even after trading one first-rounder, they still have another at No. 13 overall. The offensive line is an area I expect them to target, and a wide receiver also could be on the menu with Davante Adams close to the finish line and Tutu Atwell gone. The Rams have their typically-strange allotment of draft picks, with three in the first 93 overall, none for the ensuing 113 picks and four selections from No. 207 on. Expect Los Angeles not to end up with those same picks, as GM Les Snead always keeps his finger on the trigger. The Rams are gunning for another title in Matthew Stafford's age-38 season.

The Rams' problems late in the year came from their defense, so they went out and added better players in the secondary. They might be the most talented team in the NFC and if Stafford remains on the level he was last season, they will be a tough team to beat.

San Francisco 49ers, No. 5 overall

The ever-reliable Mike Evans joining the 49ers is an upgrade for a receiver corps that had to endure injuries and the bizarre absence of Brandon Aiyuk last season. Evans can serve as a mentor to young receivers like Ricky Pearsall and help give Brock Purdy a consistent threat on the outside, assuming Evans' health woes from last year don't crop up again. Adding Osa Odighizuwa appeared to be a smart and fairly cheap way to address the pressure needs up front, but the 49ers still need outside rush threats. The abrupt retirement of Bryce Huff, San Francisco's 2025 co-sack leader (with four!), further exacerbates the issue up front. The Niners are trying to keep pace with the Seahawks and Rams, who remain two of the very best teams in the NFL.

They moved up three slots from the last set of power rankings. With receiver availability issues, they added two more good pass catchers, although Evans and Kirk also have been prone to injuries.

Arizona Cardinals, No. 32 overall

I actually kind of liked a few of Arizona's free-agent additions, including OG Isaac Seumalo and RB Tyler Allgeier, but it’s hard to ignore the big picture. The Cardinals still have a lot to sort out. The offensive line remains unfinished, I believe, despite adding a few journeyman tackles. The defensive front still needs reinforcements, even after all the picks they’ve allocated there in the past few years. And yes, quarterback remains a mystery. Right now, it’s Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew and who knows? If a draft QB such as Alabama's Ty Simpson tempts them, the Cardinals might have to pull the trigger. Waiting until 2027 to solve that problem could guarantee another last-place finish, but then again, it might take a miracle to avoid the basement in the loaded NFC West anyway.

Well, it doesn't get worse than last place. They fell three spots since 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 is the NFC West after free agency?