Before the end of the 2018 regular season, the Los Angeles Rams already had a stranglehold of the top spot in the NFC West standings, and they'd go on to win the division by a rather sizeable three-game margin over the Seattle Seahawks.
Furthermore, the Rams went a perfect 6-0 against their division rivals as well. With many of its core pieces still intact and a big-name free agent safety Eric Weddle having been just signed by the team, Los Angeles is poised to win its third consecutive division crown in 2019.
That being said, the rest of the NFC West has a lot of work to do if they're to give the Rams a run for their money this coming season.
For as good as Russell Wilson still is, the Seahawks haven't done much in free agency thus far to support their star QB. They've just re-signed a handful of last year's holdouts like Mychal Kendricks, K.J. Wright, Mike Iupati, and D.J. Fluker. They also lost all-star safety Earl Thomas, leaving Seattle's Legion of Boom defense as a shell of its former self.
The Arizona Cardinals, meanwhile, made a power play by signing linebackers Terrell Suggs (Ravens) and Jordan Hicks (Eagles). However, the Cards are still lacking in offensive threats outside of aging future Hall-of-Famer Larry Fitzgerald and stud running back David Johnson. Quarterback Josh Rosen also appears to be needing more time to develop as well following his lackluster rookie campaign.
That leaves us with the San Francisco 49ers, who are entering the 2019 season with a new look and a fresh start after an injury-riddled 2018 season, making them the biggest threat to the Los Angeles' supremacy.
Here are three reasons why the Niners have the best chance of overthrowing the Rams in the NFC West's division race.
3. Draft Pick Quality and Quantity Flexibility
Finishing the 2018 season with a disappointing 4-12 record meant that San Francisco ends up with another high draft pick. That's been the silver lining that the team has found from its recent run of mediocrity, and they'll try to make the most out of it yet again this year.
With the Cardinals seemingly taking Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the first-overall pick and looking to move on from the Josh Rosen experiment, the Niners have a shot at grabbing the best defensive player on the board in Ohio State's Nick Bosa with their second-overall pick.
Should Arizona pivot from taking a QB with its No. 1 pick and choose to draft Bosa instead, San Francisco could then opt to trade their No. 2 pick for even more picks at the draft and stock up on numbers over solitary value.
Losing their chance to draft Bosa would be a bummer, but the 49ers need a ton of help on defense that accumulating more prospects might just be as good as drafting the Buckeye beast. They even have a few shots at improving the defense in April, having five picks after the first round ready and loaded at their disposal.
2. Huge Moves Made in NFL Free Agency
Speaking of defense, San Francisco made huge strides towards the improvement of its stop unit this offseason already. The team signed the likes of Pro Bowl defenders Dee Ford and Kwon Alexander to long-term deals last week.
These two moves of signing proven producers indicate that the 49ers are now inclined to take a safer approach to their roster upgrades in hopes of a playoff push that's been delayed for far too long.
In the first round of 2017 NFL Draft, the 49ers selected defensive end Solomon Thomas with their third-overall pick, but Thomas has yet to develop as a consistent pass-rusher. Meanwhile, Ford made the Pro Bowl last season in Kansas City and will have an immediate impact in his new team's defensive line.
In that same draft class was linebacker Reuben Foster, who was taken by the Niners with the 31st-overall pick. As it turned out, Foster's run-ins with the law set the team back a lot, and that's where the services of Alexander comes in. The former Buccaneer is still recovering from a torn ACL, but he'll be very determined to replicate his 2017 Pro Bowl season as a member of another team also sporting red and gold.
1. Crippling Injuries on Offense Now in the Rear View Mirror
The main reason that the 49ers failed to live up to expectations last season was that there were too many significant injuries that they couldn't overcome.
The most notable player on the laundry list of injuries is quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, whom the Niners signed mid-season in 2017 and looked to be the next big QB in San Fran since Colin Kaepernick. Sadly, Garoppolo's 2018 campaign was cut short when he suffered a torn ACL in Week 3.
Pass-catching running back Jerick McKinnon was a touted free agent pickup last year after four solid years in Minnesota. However, and similar to Garoppolo's case, McKinnon also tore his ACL, and his injury came even before the regular season started.
Those two players on offense alone meant so much to the Niners' future, and that's not even mentioning the nagging injuries suffered by other players like Matt Breida and Pierre Garcon throughout the previous season.
The only constant on the team was tight end George Kittle, who continued to produce record numbers despite not having Garoppolo as his quarterback. Now with Jimmy G, McKinnon and Kittle all set to team up for the first time this year, the Niners have a potent offense on paper that could rival the Rams' own prolific firepower.
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