2019 NFC West All-Division Team: The Offense

In this two-part series, we here at Last Word on Pro Football take a look at the best players by position in the NFC West.

For years, the NFC West has been synonymous with smash-mouth defense and a heavy running attack. It wasn’t until recently that the division shifted towards the offensive side of the ball, no doubt thanks to the young, offensive-minded gurus in Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, and Kliff Kingsbury. The one outlier being the Seattle Seahawks and their run-first offense, though that may be subject to change with the arrival of D.K. Metcalf. With the recent change in philosophies, the NFC West embodies innovation and ground-breaking analytics, providing a glimpse at what the rest of the league could look like in the near future. These are the best players on offense, by position, heading into the 2019 season.

Offenses: AFC East – AFC North – AFC South – AFC West – NFC South – NFL
Defenses: AFC East – AFC North – AFC South – AFC West – NFC South – NFC West – NFL

2019 All-NFC West Division Team: The Offense

Quarterback: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

Russell Wilson is a top-five quarterback in this league and somehow is still underrated. He was sacked 51 times last year and still managed to post a career high in passing touchdowns (35). He also happens to be one of the best deep-ball throwers that I’ve ever seen. Russell Wilson is a future Hall of Famer and the Seahawks would be fighting for the #1 overall pick in the draft if not for him.

Russell Wilson led all quarterbacks in the NFC West with 35 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions and a quarterback rating of 110.9. He also compiled an impressive completion percentage of 65.6 all while being sacked on over 10% of his dropbacks.

Running Back: Todd Gurley (Rams)

This one is a no-brainer. Todd Gurley rushed for over 1200 yards last season and totaled 17 touchdowns. Thanks to the abrupt decline of David Johnson, Gurley easily runs away this division, pun intended. Knee issues or not, Todd Gurley is still the class of the NFC West until proven otherwise.

Wide Receiver: Robert Woods (Rams)

The NFC West might have the weakest wide receiver group of any division. Robert Woods almost slides in here by default due to health and consistency. With all that being said, Woods still had a tremendous season posting over 1200 yards receiving and six touchdowns. Consistency is the key thing for him going forward. With Cooper Kupp returning to the lineup in 2019, that should take some of the attention off Woods and allow him to post even better numbers than he did the season prior.

Wide Receiver: Tyler Lockett (Seahawks)

It was a breakout season for Tyler Lockett last year. He posted career highs in almost every category, likely due to the absence of Doug Baldwin, but still impressive nonetheless. He showed that he’s a force to be reckoned with down the sidelines and should only improve upon those numbers with the arrival of DK Metcalf. His numbers are even more impressive when you consider the run-first offense he had to deal with all season. Catching passes from one of the best deep-ball throwers in the game probably doesn’t hurt either.

Slot Receiver: Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals)

What more can be said about Larry Fitzgerald that hasn’t been said already? The man is class personified, a born leader and sports some of the best hands we’ve ever seen in the league. While most WRs fizzle out after they hit 30 years of age, Larry Fitzgerald has been able to extend his playing career due to his smarts, sure hands, leadership skills and knowledge of the route tree. Over the hill or not, I’d take Larry Fitzgerald on my team any day.

Tight End: George Kittle (49ers)

This one’s almost as much of a no-brainer as Gurley at running back. George Kittle is another play that separated himself from the pack with a breakout season. The 2018 season saw Kittle record over 1300 yards receiving and five touchdowns. Even more impressive than that, he led the league with 10.2 yards after catch which was the most in the NFL. The 49ers drafted George Kittle in the fifth round of the 2017 draft and to call that pick a steal would be the understatement of the century. In my opinion, George Kittle has emerged as the best TE in the league and he’s only scratched the surface.

Left Tackle: Andrew Whitworth (Rams)

Easily the hardest decision I’ve had to make so far. It came down to him and Joe Staley and honestly you couldn’t go wrong with either or. Both have been models of consistency at the LT position for years now. I chose Andrew Whitworth due to his higher Pro Football Focus grade and him blocking for a 17 TD runner in Todd Gurley. As I stated previously, you could make a case for Joe Staley and I’m not sure I’d be able to argue against you. It’s literally that close.

Left Guard: Laken Tomlinson (49ers)

The offensive guard position is another weak group for the NFC West. You’ve got starters at left guard like Mike Iupati and J.R. Sweezy that have both ranked outside of the top 30 for their position. Laken Tomlinson comes in with a Pro Football Focus rating of 25 for all qualifying guards and was excellent in run blocking last season. Pass blocking woes aside, Tomlinson is, for right now, the class of the NFC West when it comes to left guards. It’ll be interesting to see how he returns from the MCL tear he suffered in week 17.

Center: Justin Britt (Seahawks)

Justin Britt leading the way here for a very uncompetitive NFC West center group. You might be noticing a theme here when it comes to the NFC West and interior offensive lineman. Britt might not be the best center in the league, but he’s consistent and a strong leader. You know what you’re going to get form him year in and out, and there’s nothing wrong with that. He’s the only bright spot of an abysmal offensive line to the Seahawks, so I guess that’s something. He only had four penalties last season, so that further plays into my statement about leadership and consistency. Bare bones at the center position for the NFC West.

Right Guard: Austin Blythe (Rams)

This choice came down to Austin Blythe and Mike Person of the 49ers. For the same reason as before, I went with Blythe due to his slightly higher PFF rating and the success of the person he blocked for. Both players had phenomenal seasons, but Blythe just happened to be a little better when it was all said and done. Throughout the course of the 2018 season, he only allowed one sack and had just one penalty called against him. Considering as much as Todd Gurley ran the ball, just one holding penalty is simply outstanding. The best way to build a football team these days is from interior to exterior and I couldn’t think of a better building piece than a guy that posted this type of season.

Right Tackle: Mike McGlinchey (49ers)

Easily the best offensive lineman from the 2018 draft, Mike McGlinchey is a stud at the right tackle position and should be able to easily make the transition to left tackle when the time comes. Not sure if you can call a top 10 pick a steal, but when you consider the next offensive lineman taken after him (Kolton Miller), you might have to just throw that label out there anyways. While he may have surrendered a few more sacks than desirable, he still only had two penalties called against him and played well enough to make the 2018 All-Rookie Team. The sky is the limit for the top-10 pick and he’ll be a key building block on the 49ers offense for years to come.

Offenses: AFC East – AFC North – AFC South – AFC West – NFC South – NFL
Defenses: AFC East – AFC North – AFC South – AFC West – NFC South – NFC West – NFL