Draft Needs: NFC West

The Seattle Seahawks remain the team to beat in the NFC West, but the degree of separation between the two-time defending NFC Champions and their three NFC West rivals is minuscule 

With the NFL draft rapidly approaching, theScore breaks down who every NFC West team ought to target.

NFC
EAST | NORTH | SOUTH | WEST
AFC
EAST | NORTH | SOUTH | WEST

Seattle Seahawks

Positions of need: Guard, offensive tackle, center

Seattle's offensive line is its lone weakness entering the 2015 campaign. Some would argue that the team needs an upgrade at wide receiver, but acquiring star tight end Jimmy Graham provides Russell Wilson with the best receiving option he's had in his career. 

Center Max Unger was traded to the Saints in order to acquire Graham. While Patrick Lewis flashed signs of being a capable starter, the Seahawks may be banking on a small sample size and would be wise to draft a center with one of their league-high 11 selections. 

Russell Okung looks like a shell of the Pro Bowl-caliber player he was in 2012, and the Seahawks should be looking for their future left tackle. Justin Britt improved at right tackle during his rookie year, but the Seahawks ought to spend a late-round pick to improve its overall depth at the position. 

J.R. Sweezy was arguably the Seahawks' best offensive lineman last season but the rest of the team's guards are sub replacement-level and Seattle desperately needs to replenish its depth at the position. 

Potential draft targets: Seattle surrendered its first-round pick to acquire Graham, and will have to wait until the 63rd pick to make its first of 11 choices. 

Hobart's Ali Marpet rose to prominence at the NFL Scouting Combine and fits the Seahawks' mold of selecting players with the highest potential regardless of collegiate competition. Florida State's Josue Matias started every game at guard during the team's national championship run two seasons ago, and could be a mid-round steal.

Texas A&M's Cedric Ogbuehi presents a high-risk, high-reward proposition for the Seahawks and if he's available at 63rd overall, the Seahawks will have to consider it. Ogbuehi descended down team's draft boards due to a lingering knee injury. 

Oregon's Hroniss Grasu would be an ideal replacement for the Oregon-bred Unger, and would likely fit into the Seahawks' scheme from Day 1. 

Arizona Cardinals 

Positions of need: Quarterback, inside linebacker, tight end

Arizona appeared poised to make a deep playoff run before Carson Palmer suffered a season-ending torn ACL in November. Drew Stanton kept the Cardinals afloat, but their season effectively ended when he went down with a season-ending MCL sprain. Down to their third-string quarterback, Arizona crumbled in the first round of the playoffs. 

At 35, Palmer shouldn't be expected to steer the Cardinals for the foreseeable future, and it would be a wise move for the team to develop a contingency plan, especially in the event that he suffers another catastrophic injury. 

The Cardinals' passing offense would be aided by the development of a legitimate starting tight end as John Carlson's 350 receiving yards was the 25th-best total at his position. 

Arizona added Sean Weatherspoon and LaMarr Woodley in free agency but they shouldn't be expected to take on the brunt of defensive snaps throughout the year. With an underrated front three and excellent secondary, the Cardinals would be wise to improve the middle of their defense. 

Potential draft targets: Arizona could select a quarterback on Day 2 in Baylor's Bryce Petty or UCLA's Brett Hundley to be groomed for the future. If the team wants to become deeply experimental, they could take a low-risk, high-reward proposition such as South Alabama's Brandon Bridge. 

The Cardinals hold the 24th overall pick and if UCLA's Eric Kendricks is still available, he could be the team's starter at inside/weakside linebacker for the next decade. 

It's unlikely Arizona will want to take Minnesota's Maxx Williams in the first round but they could find value in Penn State's Jesse James on Day 2. 

San Francisco 49ers 

Positions of need: Inside linebacker, cornerback, tight end 

Chris Borland's and Patrick Willis's retirement depleted one of the best inside linebacker groups in the league, and the 49ers will be looking to quickly re-stock the position. 

NaVorro Bowman was arguably the NFL's best inside linebacker before suffering a gruesome injury in the 2013 NFC Championship Game, causing him to miss the entire 2014 season. If the 49ers are concerned that Bowman won't return to All-Pro form, it will only magnify the team's need for a strong inside linebacker. 

San Francisco's cornerback duo of Tramaine Brock and Shareece Wright won't strike fear into anyone, and there is little depth at the position behind the team's nominal starters. 

For the first time in close to a decade, tight end is a genuine need for the 49ers. Vernon Davis struggled immensely in 2014 and it's hard to imagine the 31-year-old returning to anything resembling peak form. 

Potential draft targets: UCLA's Eric Kendricks is the best inside linebacker in the draft and the 49ers would be wise to select him, hoping he adequately fills Willis's gargantuan shoes. If they can't land Kendricks in the first round, Mississippi State's Benardrick McKinney or Clemson's Stephone Anthony are decent options in the second round. 

The 49ers will likely be able to target the cornerback they want within the first two rounds, and Washington's Marcus Peters is an intriguing option to go 15th overall. 

If Minnesota's Maxx Williams is off the board by the time the 49ers select in the second round, Miami's Clive Walford and Penn State's Jesse James provide the team with some decent Day 2 options. 

St. Louis Rams 

Positions of need: Wide receiver, guard 

St. Louis traded for quarterback Nick Foles in the off-season, finally cutting ties to the failed Sam Bradford experiment. The Rams' passing offense sputtered in 2014 largely due to replacement-level play at quarterback and wide receiver, and the team solved one of its woes. 

Tavon Austin hasn't come anywhere close to meeting expectations after being selected with the eighth pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, and the Rams need someone to supplant him, Kenny Britt, and Stedman Bailey for touches in 2015 or they will have little chance of emerging from the vaunted NFC West. 

Tre Mason emerged as a legitimate starting running back towards the end of his rookie season, but to maximize his talent, St. Louis needs to upgrade its porous guard combination of Rodger Saffold and Barrett Jones. 

Potential draft targets: It may be jarring for the Rams to select another receiver at 10th overall after the failed Austin experiment, but they could get a top-flight prospect. It's unlikely Alabama's Amari Cooper will still be on the board, but the team may possess an outside shot at drafting West Virginia's Kevin White. Louisville's DeVante Parker is also an option at this slot. 

Duke's Laken Tomlinson is precisely the run-blocking guard the Rams desperately need, but he may not be available by the 41st pick. South Carolina's A.J. Cann, Hobart's Ali Marpet, and Florida State's Tre' Jackson are all intriguing options for the club.