3. Seattle Seahawks

Any time you have Russell Wilson on your team, you’ll at least be in the hunt for a playoff spot. 

The Seattle Seahawks proved that last year, making a Wildcard spot with an 11-5 record and fighting past the Philidelphia Eagles in the opening round of the playoffs for a spot in the Divisional Round, despite injuries to a few key players.

But with three other teams in the division all with talented players and legitimate paths to the playoffs, the road to double-digit wins and NFC West supremacy might not be so easy for the Seahawks, even with Russell Wilson and the help of solid pass-catchers like Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.

The glaring issue with the Seahawks isn’t so much in their offense as it is with their defense. While Wilson and a strong running game carried Seattle to an impressive record, a defense ranked 22nd in points and 26th in yards per game wasn’t much holding their end of the bargain. And with Jadaveon Clowney looking for a lucrative new home for 2020, things might not be on the upswing.

First-round rookie linebacker Jordyn Brooks’ immediate impact on the team remains to be seen. And Quandre Diggs might help lift the Seahawks secondary with a full offseason’s work with the Seattle defense, but the group as a whole might struggle to contain strong offenses in the division, taking their NFC West standing along with it.