Who are most common mock draft picks for NFC West rivals?

Who the Cardinals, Seahawks, and 49ers usually pick in mock drafts

The player who gets mocked to the Los Angeles at pick 19 the most often is UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu. According to Mock Draft Database, Latu gets mocked to the Rams in 25-percent of drafts, right after the Bengals pick J.C. Latham and before the Steelers pick Amarius Mims.

Who are the “consensus” mock draft picks for the other three NFC West teams?

Arizona Cardinals – WR Marvin Harrison, Jr.

I don’t always put the ‘Jr’ respect on somebody’s name unless everyone does it like “Ken Griffey, Jr”, but Harrison necessitates the extra two letters and punctuation because everybody knows his dad. They are two different players and two very different receivers: Harrison Jr. is four inches taller and 20 lbs heavier than his Hall of Fame father. He’s also going to go earlier in the draft and Harrison Sr. had a not-shabby 19th overall selection in 1996.

Because most anticipate the top three picks being quarterbacks, it leaves the Cardinals with their choice of the top non-QB in the entire class and many believe that player is Harrison. If Arizona trades down as many speculate, it could cost them Harrison even if they only go down two spots with the Giants because Jim Harbaugh (who played with Harrison Sr. on the Colts in 1996) is sitting there at five with a need at receiver.

If the Cardinals don’t choose Harrison, it is still expected for them to take a receiver and the next two are Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze, although some people think either of those players could be the top receiving prospect in the draft. Arizona could also stand to benefit from picking a left tackle as free agent Jonah Williams is only a stopgap. There hasn’t been any speculation of the Cardinals choosing a QB to replace Kyler Murray.

The Rams would have their hands full with guarding Harrison, who if picked joins a division that currently has DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle, in addition to Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp.

Seattle Seahawks – OL Troy Fautanu, Washington

In 32% of mock drafts, the Seahawks pick Washington left tackle Troy Fautanu with the 16th overall selection and reunite him with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and offensive line coach Scott Huff, his two coaches on the Huskies last year. This and the fact that the Seahawks only have veteran castoff Laken Tomlinson, 2023 fourth round pick Anthony Bradford, and former Ram Tremayne Anchrum at guard is what gets Fautanu to Seattle in so many mocks.

I’m not so sure that the Seahawks will buck trend this time and pick an interior lineman with the 16th pick after so many years of this same GM not showing that he puts any value in the position. However, Les Snead didn’t put any value in guard and center until the team picked Steve Avila in 2023, then signed Kevin Dotson and Jonah Jackson in 2024, so every GM is allowed to change his patterns.

Considered ‘too short’ to play left tackle by many, Fautanu has long arms to make up for his lack of height. He’s powerful and not everyone is projecting him at guard in the NFL. This is really what will determine his value: a tackle going in the top-20 is normal, but a guard going in the top-20 should mean he has Hall of Fame potential. Yet Fautanu would be moving positions so nobody can guarantee what he’ll even look like when he starts playing guard.

Fautanu would have familiarity with some on the coaching staff, but so would Michael Penix or Odunze.

New head coach Mike Macdonald, formerly the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, may ask for more help on that side of the ball to rebuild one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Seattle could also trade down to accumulate more draft picks as they traded their second rounder for Leonard Williams. If the Seahawks stay at 16 and Fautanu is available, he may still end up being the right person for the job.

San Francisco 49ers – OL Jordan Morgan

Mock drafts could have a dramatic shift in direction of the 49ers trade Deebo or Aiyuk before the first round, but San Francisco writers unanimously agree that the offensive line needs help. Morgan is the pick for the Niners at 31 in 26% of mock drafts.

It seems like this is how mock drafts work: “I look at depth chart, I find players I’ve never heard of before, I choose position and top-ranked player at the position according to somebody else.”

In the case of a Super Bowl loser though, you add in “I think what caused this team to lose Super Bowl?” and then you choose base on that. Because the 49ers’ most famous play in the Super Bowl was allowing pressure on Brock Purdy, then it just comes down to whoever the highest-ranked offensive lineman is who you didn’t mock to a team already. This is also why mocks fail so miserably because it only takes one unexpected move to disrupt every other pick after that one. And the first unexpected move is likely to happen in the top-5.

Could Jordan Morgan go to the 49ers? Anything is possible. The odds are really high that they won’t pick Morgan but thinking they would be happy to draft offensive line help is totally fair.