March 23, 2026, 4:19 a.m. MT

The NFL has largely finished its work in free agency and now is getting ready for the 2026 NFL draft. Millions upon millions of dollars have been committed to players in new contracts.

Ideally, teams are improved, and we can begin to get a picture as to how good each team will be.

Enter new post-free agency power rankings from PFF’s Mason Cameron. We know that the Arizona Cardinals rank lowly, but what about the NFC West as a whole?

Let’s see where the Cardinals and their division opponents rank after two weeks of free agency.

Los Angeles Rams, No. 1 overall

In the PFF era (since 2006), no team had ever finished the year ranked atop the NFL in both PFF team offensive (93.0) and defensive (86.9) grading — until the Rams did this past season. Led by NFL and PFF MVP Matthew Stafford and PFF Offensive Player of the Year Puka Nacua, the Rams were a force to be reckoned with.

Even still, Los Angeles entered March looking to address its Achilles’ heel in coverage after a late-season collapse. And the front office did just that, pulling off an aggressive trade for cornerback Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson — key pieces to the Chiefs’ fifth-ranked coverage unit. Those additions leave the Rams with virtually no weaknesses.

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The Rams were arguably the best team last year, but the defense failed them. All they did was get better in the secondary.

Seattle Seahawks, No. 2 overall

The Super Bowl champion Seahawks cede some ground here after seeing key contributors walk this offseason, including Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, three starters on defense and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. While those are significant losses, Seattle maintains a strong foundation in all three phases of the game, the blueprint to its championship run.

All three units feature elite talent, highlighted by Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba and PFF’s highest-graded cornerback, Devon Witherspoon, to name a few. The front office also re-signed elite returner Rashid Shaheed.

The question is whether the Seahawks will be able to have the same magic in 2026 after losing Walker, their offensive coordinator and more. Running back is now a question, but that defense should still be great.

San Francisco 49ers, No. 10 overall

With Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne testing free agency and Brandon Aiyuk likely to depart, the 49ers approached their need at receiver with tact. Instead of shelling out significant figures to retain Jennings or Bourne, the team opted to sign a veteran upgrade in Mike Evans. Although injuries hindered Evans this past season, he’s still performing at a high level, having just posted his 12th straight season with a 70.0-plus PFF receiving grade. The move ensures the 49ers’ fourth-ranked offense (83.1) from 2025 should remain highly productive.

Bourne went to the Cardinals, but Evans is a significant upgrade over him. He has to stay healthy. But this team was still very good despite a ton of games lost to injuries last season.

Arizona Cardinals, No. 31 overall

Kyler Murray’s exit is the dominant headline of the Cardinals‘ offseason. Arizona, despite being debatably more productive offensively without Murray, doesn’t have a strong roster on paper, evidenced by its offensive (70.4, 22nd) and defensive (50.7, 30th) grading profiles. The struggles on defense are notable, and without major investments in the unit, the Cardinals’ outlook in 2026 doesn’t project favorably.

It’s hard not to look at the Cardinals and wonder what they are doing. Their moves in free agency have not improved their roster except maybe at running back. Going with Jaoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew at quarterback, who have a combined 37-75 record as starters, reeks of tanking.

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