Where does the Seahawks’ defensive line rank in the NFC West?

The Seahawks lost Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril on the defensive line. Seattle didn’t add much in return. How does the line rank compared to the rest of the NFC West?

The Seahawks are a team that is in transition, whether that is retool or rebuild. Maybe the two units that are seeing the most rework are the secondary and the defensive line. Defensive ends Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril left this offseason, either traded or cut. One-year rental Sheldon Richardson also left Seattle. Now Seattle needs young players to improve quickly.

Frank Clark was maybe the third best pass rusher on the last two Seattle teams. But now he has to be the best and needs to help the players around him. This is a big step for Clark and if he cannot reach his potential the whole Seahawks team suffers.

How do Seattle’s losses affect the defensive line’s ranking in the NFC West?

The best defensive line in the NFC West (and maybe the NFL) is the Los Angeles Rams

The only question about the Rams is how good their defensive ends/edge rushers are. Because the middle is completely stacked. Aaron Donald may be the most disruptive force in football. Ndamukong Suh isn’t Donald but he isn’t that far away. And Michael Brockers was very good in 2017.

This is a fun line for Wade Phillips to have. But not fun for the rest of the NFL.

Number two in the division is the Arizona Cardinals

Chandler Jones is a proven pass rusher and makes any defensive line better. Markus Golden will be moving from linebacker to end and he had 12 sacks in 2016. The weakness in the line comes in the middle but the way Arizona uses their defense with linebackers, they should still be able to control the run.

The Seahawks have the third best defensive line in the NFC West

Seattle needs a few players to have career years, though. If Dion Jordan and Jarran Reed and Frank Clark don’t have great years, Seattle could have the worst line in the division. There is hope for the middle of the line, however, with a healthy Naz Jones and newcomers Shamar Stephen and Tom Johnson. And it is difficult to predict of well Rasheem Green will do in his rookie season.

New defensive coordinator Ken Norton will need to prove his worth quickly in getting the most out of his line. Or Seattle will be lucky to win eight games.

The worst line is the San Francisco 49ers but they could be the second best

The 49ers have a lot of potential. Solomon Thomas and DeForest Buckner could both turn out to be Pro Bowl players for years. But the 49ers are still building for depth and there isn’t a lot of it in San Francisco…yet.

Next: Think the Seahawks will have a losing season? Here's possibly why...

We 12s love our Seahawks, but for now at least the days are gone when Seattle could simply walk on the field as the better team. If Seattle cannot get a pass rush going, the secondary will be exposed. And the season will be a lost one.