The NFC West is shaping up as one of the league’s toughest divisions in 2026, and a handful of rookies could wind up swinging the whole thing. The obvious names are the first-rounders, but this group goes deeper than that. Two former Notre Dame running backs headline the rookie conversation in Arizona and Seattle, while the Rams and 49ers may get real value from players taken well later in the draft.
For Arizona, the choice is straightforward: Jeremiyah Love.
Taken No. 3 overall, the Cardinals running back arrives with top-five expectations and the kind of all-purpose skill set that can change an offense fast. Arizona has talent at the playmaker spots, but quarterback play remains a major variable in whether this group can score enough to stay in the mix in a crowded NFC West.
Love gives them a different kind of answer. He has the home-run ability to flip a game from anywhere on the field, and his biggest impact could come as a receiving threat in Mike LaFleur’s offense.
With uncertainty under center, how LaFleur uses the 2025 Heisman Trophy runner-up in the outside-zone scheme could help Arizona create explosive plays and keep defenses guessing.
Seattle’s most important rookie is also a Notre Dame back, and Jadarian Price may be asked to carry a heavy load right away.
The Seahawks took him at No. 32 overall, and the timing matters. Zach Charbonnett starts the season on the Reserve/PUP list, so Seattle will lean on Price early.
He shared the Notre Dame backfield with Love, but Price made his own case with explosive playmaking when given the chance. At 5-foot-11, 203 pounds, he brings vision and elusiveness, and the source material frames him as an upgrade over Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III.
He’s also mentioned as a player who should be in the conversation for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. The big thing for Seattle is keeping him fresh.
That means George Holani and Emanuel Wilson may need to handle real work early so Price isn’t overextended before Charbonnett returns. If that happens, the Seahawks could end up with a deep backfield and Price as the lead option.
The Rams’ rookie who matters most is not a flashy early pick, but a sixth-round receiver who could end up mattering a lot.
CJ Daniels went No. 197 overall out of Miami, and he has already stood out in training camp with a blend of size and skill that draws comparisons to Puka Nacua. Los Angeles looks loaded defensively after the trade for Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald’s return from retirement, but the offense still has a question worth watching: who becomes the third receiver behind Nacua and Davante Adams?
Daniels has a path there. His route running and frame give him a chance to carve out a role as a rookie, and if he does, he could become one of the steals of the 2026 NFL Draft.
His importance also runs through depth. If Adams or Nacua misses time, the Rams would suddenly be thin at receiver, which makes Daniels’ development a real factor in how Matthew Stafford’s offense holds up over the season.
San Francisco’s most important rookie is a little less obvious than the one drawing all the preseason attention.
The easy answer would be De’Zhaun Stribling, the team’s top pick and one of the biggest talking points of the preseason. But the pick here is Romello Height, the No. 70 overall selection from Texas Tech.
Height spent his college career behind David Bailey, yet still produced at a high level for the Red Raiders. He finished with 10.0 sacks and showed the kind of motor, edge-setting ability and athleticism that can play in the NFL.
For San Francisco, he adds depth and gives the pass rush another option opposite Nick Bosa. With Mykel Williams beginning the season on the Reserve/PUP list, Height should have a real chance to get on the field early.
New defensive coordinator Raheem Morris likes versatility along his fronts, and if Height outperforms Keion White early, he could earn snaps on the left side and build into a meaningful role.
Love and Price come in with first-round expectations. Daniels and Height do not.
But in a division this tight, that distinction may not matter much once the season gets rolling. If those four rookies hit the ground running, they could end up shaping the NFC West race in 2026.
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The Rams have also put work into the rest of the operation, especially the rushing game and the defense, with offseason additions like Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald adding to the sense that the support system around Stafford could get even stronger. Looking ahead to 2026, the expectation is not simply that Stafford will be asked to carry the offense, but that he may have more help than ever if the group comes together the way the Rams envision. The upside is obvious, even if the full picture still has to play out. [Read more 🡒]