The Athletic (subscription required) recently published a ranking of all 32 NFL rosters, including all recent draft picks. Were the Seattle Seahawks at the top? Well, no.
Austin Mock devised a system in which he assigned a value to each player on each team. He then adjusted for positional value, meaning the top-rated quarterback earned more points than the top-rated center. When he was finished, he had an order which confirmed what most of us already knew intuitively.
The two best rosters in the NFL belong to NFC West rivals. The Los Angeles Rams finished first, just edging out the defending champion Seahawks. For any Seahawks fans who feel slighted by this – after all, Seattle did defeat L.A. in two out of their three contest last season, including the NFC championship game - I wouldn’t get too worked up about it.
Seattle Seahawks roster is ranked second-best in the NFL
A high-quality roster is essential for any team that has championship aspirations. But it is only part of the equation. If Mock’s model is indeed accurate, the Seahawks have an excellent chance of defending their title, regardless of how good the Rams may be.
I can’t pretend to know the nuances of many of the rosters that follow the Rams and Seahawks. I can tell you this much, though. The next four teams all come from the AFC. That should bode well for both Seattle and Los Angeles.
Only two other NFC clubs rank in the top ten – Philadelphia at seven and Green Bay at nine. That means six of the top ten rosters reside in the AFC. They may not have the absolute cream of the crop, but based on these rankings, the AFC does have more quality teams to overcome.
The 49ers are ranked 11th. That would once again confirm that the Seahawks' greatest challenge in 2026 could be winning their own division, thus ensuring a first-round home playoff game and possible home games against either San Francisco or L.A., just as they had last year.
The AFC West is the only other division with so much talent at the top. The Chiefs, Chargers, and Broncos are ranked fourth, fifth, and sixth. Mock does not reveal his individual player rankings, but I wonder how much of a boost Kansas City received from adding Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to its beleaguered running back room.
If I can’t compare the Seahawks to every other roster in the league, I can at least stack them up against the Rams, a team I see play virtually every week. This is not an easy task. There is almost nothing to choose from between the rosters.
Neither team has any obvious weakness. Both teams have very solid depth. If you are looking for a reason to justify Mock’s conclusion, I would point to two specific positions.
Sam Darnold was very good last year. Matthew Stafford was better. And Rams’ general manager Les Snead boldly addressed his single biggest roster hole this offseason by bringing two Kansas City Chiefs cornerbacks – Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. This was a clear advantage for Seattle last year. This year, it is basically a push.
The Seahawks probably have better linebackers and safeties, but it is close. Unless Rashid Shaheed or Tory Horton take a big step up this year, the Rams still have better receivers. A good Jadarian Price might mean Seattle has slightly better running backs. An average season from the rookie gives the Rams a decided edge.
And speaking of edges, both units are both outstanding. Dante Fowler’s arrival might tilt things ever so slightly toward Seattle, based on depth alone.
If I am simply looking at rosters, with an emphasis on starters, I too would give the Rams a very slight advantage. But there is more to winning in the NFL than starting lineups.
For instance, the Rams' offensive line is arguably better than Seattle’s primarily because of guard Anthony Bradford’s limitations in pass protection. But I would argue that a starting offensive line of Josh Jones and Amari Kight at tackle, Christian Haynes and rookie Beau Stephens at guard, and Olu Oluwatimi at center would be better than at least one-quarter of the league’s offensive lines.
Those are Seattle’s backups. John Schneider has acquired more quality depth than any GM in the league. His roster can withstand average injury levels far better than most teams, including the Rams.
And his specialists – and special teams overall – are all within the league's upper echelon. Seattle won the Super Bowl in no small part because of Rashid Shaheed’s kick and punt returns.
So the Rams may indeed have the most talented roster in the NFL. They do not have the most complete roster. Seattle does. What makes this so competitive is that Seattle may well have the second-most-talented roster, while the Rams probably have the second-most-complete roster. In other words, very little separates these clubs.
That was obvious last season. And it will probably be the same story in 2026.
Then again, maybe Seattle won last season due to that adage about good defenses beating good offenses when championships are on the line. After all, who do you want as your coach? Future Hall of Famer Sean McVay or wunderkind Mike Macdonald? Ooh...that sounds like a discussion for another day.
Add us as a preferred source on Google