NFC West 2025 NFL Draft Grades: Analysis of Every Team's Picks

There's definitely some gamble baked into this draft class, but if things break right, it could be a game-changing haul for the Cardinals' defense. Walter Nolen has the talent to be as dominant as any defensive lineman from this group — the key will be ironing out his inconsistencies at the pro level. Will Johnson, who was the No. 8 prospect on my board, feels like an absolute steal midway through the second round. That said, he slid because of some flagged knee concerns during medical checks. Jordan Burch and Trey Moore also have real starting upside if they continue to develop.

Once a top high school recruit, Burch finally flashed his potential last year, showing he can get after the quarterback both on the edge and from inside — exactly what the Cardinals were desperate for. The overall grade factors in the risks, but make no mistake — the upside here is massive.

The Rams' biggest win from draft weekend wasn't a player at all, it was snagging the Falcons' 2026 first-rounder. As for the rest of their haul, Los Angeles didn’t exactly move the needle when it comes to closing the gap with the NFC’s heavyweights. Sure, the Rams are still very much in the hunt for another NFC West crown, but glaring question marks remain at cornerback and linebacker, especially after watching the Eagles swoop in and grab Jihaad Campbell at No. 31.

GM Les Snead has earned plenty of trust with his draft track record, but passing on Elijah Arroyo in favor of Ferguson could come back to haunt them. They also didn't do much to secure a quarterback for the post-Matthew Stafford era, though stacking two first-round picks for 2025 at least keeps the door open for bigger moves down the line.

The 49ers clearly had one mission in this draft: beef up the defense — and it’s hard not to get fired up about what they pulled off. Mykel Williams brings serious muscle against the run and, with his raw athleticism, has the tools to crank up his pass-rushing numbers at the next level. Pairing him with Nick Bosa off the edge could turn into a nightmare for opposing offenses.

Meanwhile, Alfred Collins and CJ West were two personal favorites among this year's defensive linemen. Both are already forces against the ground game, and there's sneaky upside in their pass-rush arsenal too. That's potentially three future starters added to the trenches in one swoop.

Outside of those defensive line reinforcements, the rest of the draft class feels a little flat. And ignoring the offensive line could come back to bite them when the real bullets start flying. The overall grade reflects those concerns, but if you're a 49ers fan, you've got every reason to be pumped about the future of this front seven.

The Seahawks did a nice job ticking off major needs in this draft. Grey Zabel plugs a huge gap on the interior offensive line, and his athleticism should be a natural fit in Klint Kubiak's zone-heavy system. Nick Emmanwori, viewed by many as first-round material, is an absolute steal early on Day 2 — Mike Macdonald should be licking his chops figuring out ways to unleash that rare size-speed combo.

Elijah Arroyo brings a much-needed spark at tight end, while Tory Horton is a late-round flier who could carve out a role on the outside next to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. And then there's Jalen Milroe, who'll learn behind Sam Darnold for a while. He's far from a polished passer, but the raw athletic gifts were just too tempting to pass up late on Day 3. With his wheels, he could immediately be one of the NFL's most dangerous running quarterbacks — and maybe even get sprinkled into some special packages as a rookie.

Seattle also nabbed DamienMartinez, my No. 4-ranked back, in the seventh round to cap things off. All in all, this is a really exciting haul for the Seahawks and their future looks a lot more electric after this weekend.