{"id":46481,"date":"2018-07-29T20:54:43","date_gmt":"2018-07-30T00:54:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=46481"},"modified":"2021-03-20T20:54:25","modified_gmt":"2021-03-21T00:54:25","slug":"2018-nfc-west-all-division-team-the-offense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2018\/07\/29\/2018-nfc-west-all-division-team-the-offense\/","title":{"rendered":"2018 NFC West All-Division Team: The Offense"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The NFC West is shaping up to be one of the best divisions in all of football. On offense, there are perhaps no two better minds in the NFL than <strong>Kyle Shanahan<\/strong> and <strong>Sean McVay<\/strong>. All four teams appear to have their quarterback of the future. This division is packed with offensive talent from top to bottom. Here is how the NFC All-Division offense would line up.<\/p>\n<h1><strong>2018 NFC West All-Division Team: The Offense<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h2>Quarterback: Russell Wilson<\/h2>\n<p>There is a lot of hype around all the quarterbacks in the NFC West. Only one, though, has walked the walk. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WilsRu00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Russell Wilson<\/a><\/strong> is the not only the lone quarterback in the division to start and win a Super Bowl, but the only one to win a playoff game. He also led the league in touchdowns in 2017.<\/p>\n<h2>Running Back: Todd Gurley<\/h2>\n<p>No player had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/leaders\/all_purpose_yds_year_by_year.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">more all-purpose yards<\/a>\u00a0in 2017 than <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GurlTo01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Todd Gurley<\/a><\/strong>. Gurley also finished second in rushing yards, despite missing the final game of the season for rest. Under McVay with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/category\/rams\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Los Angeles Rams<\/a>, Gurley should continue to have monster seasons.<\/p>\n<h2>Wide Receiver: Larry Fitzgerald<\/h2>\n<p>Since 2004, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/F\/FitzLa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Larry Fitzgerald<\/a> <\/strong>has not only been the class of the NFC West, but of the NFL. Throughout his career with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/category\/cardinals\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Arizona Cardinals<\/a>, Fitzgerald has been named to 11 Pro Bowls and took home the prestigious<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/P\/PaytWa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Walter Payton<\/a> <\/strong>Man of the Year award. The 14-year veteran is still playing at a high level.<\/p>\n<h2>Wide Receiver: Doug Baldwin<\/h2>\n<p>When <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BaldDo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Doug Baldwin<\/a> <\/strong>entered the league in 2011 as an undrafted free agent with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/category\/seahawks\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Seattle Seahawks<\/a>, he was at the bottom of the totem pole. He has since become a Pro Bowl receiver. In 2017, he was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.profootballfocus.com\/nfl\/players\/doug-baldwin\/6615\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sixth highest graded receiver<\/a> in terms of PFF.<\/p>\n<h2>Slot Receiver: Brandin Cooks<\/h2>\n<p>In the first four years of<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/C\/CookBr00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brandin Cooks&#8217;<\/a><\/strong> career, he had two Hall of Fame quarterbacks throwing to him. Now, he will be an integral part of one of the most dynamic offenses in all of football with the Rams. Cooks has had over 1,000 yards receiving in three of his four seasons. That trend should continue in 2018.<\/p>\n<h2>Tight End: George Kittle<\/h2>\n<p>With <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GrahJi00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jimmy Graham<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2018\/03\/13\/jimmy-graham-signs-packers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">departure<\/a>, there is somewhat of a tight end void in the NFC West. Rookie <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/K\/KittGe00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">George Kittle<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s season started out slow, but he finished strong. Two of his best performances came in the last two games of the season. Kittle will look to keep his strong rapport with <strong>Jimmy Garoppolo<\/strong> going next year with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/category\/49ers\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco 49ers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Left Tackle: Andrew Whitworth<\/h2>\n<p>When the Rams drafted <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=RobiGr01,RobiGr00,RobiGr20&amp;search=Greg+Robinson&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Greg Robinson<\/a><\/strong> with the second overall pick, they thought they had secured the left tackle position for the foreseeable future. Instead, the free agent acquisition of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WhitAn20.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andrew Whitworth<\/a><\/strong> filled that void. Whitworth is a two-time All-Pro, including earning that honor in 2017.<\/p>\n<h2>Left Guard: Rodger Saffold<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/SaffRo20.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rodger Saffold<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s pairing with Whitworth gave the Rams an incredible left side of their offensive line. Saffold was named second-team All-Pro in 2017. He was also the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.profootballfocus.com\/nfl\/players\/rodger-saffold\/5558\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">seventh highest graded guard<\/a> in terms of PFF.<\/p>\n<h2>Center: Weston Richburg<\/h2>\n<p>In his four-year career with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/category\/giants\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New York Giants<\/a>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/R\/RichWe00.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Weston Richburg<\/a> <\/strong>played both guard and center. However, he played best as a center. In 2017, Richburg was off to an incredible pass-blocking year before being injured. He will look to bounce back in 2018 with the 49ers.<\/p>\n<h2>Right Guard: Justin Pugh<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/P\/PughJu00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Justin Pugh<\/a> <\/strong>is the second interior offensive lineman to join the NFC West from the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/giants\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New York Giants<\/a> in 2018. Pugh has often been injured in his career, but when healthy, has shown flashes of being an elite guard.<\/p>\n<h2>Right Tackle: Joe Staley<\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/StalJo20.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joe Staley<\/a> <\/strong>has made a name for himself as one of the best tackles in all of football. Though he plays on the left side of the offensive line, he is clearly one of the two best tackles in the division. Staley was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.profootballfocus.com\/nfl\/players\/joe-staley\/3644\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">second highest grade tackle<\/a> in 2017 by PFF.<\/p>\n<p>Be sure to check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/2018\/07\/29\/2018-nfc-west-all-division-team-defense-special-teams\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NFC West All-Division Team on defense and special teams<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"9e1oGkGfQbVhCtEyNVc0Cg\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/904031370\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'9e1oGkGfQbVhCtEyNVc0Cg',sig:'Ay21DuE3n5U_b4Qi63mnvfT2s0J6JGBhhtCXVmhKwAY=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'904031370',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2018 NFC West Offense: On offense, there are perhaps no two better offensive minds in the NFL than Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1988,"featured_media":46499,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54,33,34,31,32],"tags":[279,192,236,52,179],"class_list":["post-46481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorials","category-cardinals","category-rams","category-49ers","category-seahawks","tag-arizona-cardinals","tag-los-angeles-rams","tag-nfc-west","tag-san-francisco-49ers","tag-seattle-seahawks"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1988"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46481"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46481\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}