2015 NFL Draft grades: NFC West features multiple teams playing the long game

The NFC West is one of the toughest divisions in football, but only the team on top is anything near a "sure thing" when it comes to fielding a top tier squad in 2015. The Seattle Seahawks are solid from top to bottom, while the Arizona Cardinals still have worrying issues on the offensive side of the ball, the San Francisco 49ers have had a tumultuous offseason and the St. Louis Rams have plenty of holes.

Free agency was an interesting period for these teams, but the Seahawks made headlines with the trade that brought Jimmy Graham into the division. They surrendered a first-round pick, but snagged the top tight end in the NFL. The Rams, meanwhile, acquired quarterback Nick Foles and defensive lineman Nick Fairley, and the Cardinals made positive moves by bringing in Mike Iupati and re-signing Larry Fitzgerald. San Francisco is a mess after losing Patrick Willis and Chris Borland to retirement, but free agency signings Darnell Dockett and Torrey Smith could make a difference next season.

How does the division look following the 2015 NFL Draft? Did the Seahawks do enough to bring in talent to sustain continued success? Did the 49ers patch up any of the holes left by a wretched offseason? Let's take a look at each team below and how they graded out by experts around the Internet.

Other than Clark, other defensive linemen the team picked drew high marks, with defensive end Obum Gwacham at No. 209 overall and defensive tackle Kristjan Sokoli at No. 214 overall. That said, the best-received pick was wide receiver Tyler Lockett at No. 69 overall. The Seahawks traded up to land him and he could be a contributor early on in his NFL career. For the most part, this draft has been viewed as one to stock up the depth chart, so don't expect most of these players to contribute as rookies.

The Cardinals went the sensible route in the first round, taking offensive tackle D.J. Humphries. He's essentially regarded as a "sure thing" at this point, and should immediately provide some much-needed protection for Carson Palmer. That pick automatically gave the Cardinals a good grade for the opening day, but they picked up other top talent in running back David Johnson at No. 86 overall and Markus Golden at No. 58 overall.

Golden is a solid defensive end who was somewhat lost in the Shane Ray hype, and many experts think Johnson can challenge for a starting role as a rookie. The pick of wide receiver J.J. Nelson at No. 159 overall has drawn some critics because most feel he was picked sooner simply due to his speed, but most experts are pretty high on Arizona's draft strategy overall.

While 49ers fans weren't exactly thrilled with the team's decision to eschew the wide receiver position in the first round, experts liked the pick of defensive lineman Arik Armstead and his potential. The question is whether he can reach that potential, as he has precious little experience and was inconsistent at best with Oregon. The biggest criticism the 49ers drew throughout the draft: they still seem to be drafting for the future, and with multiple holes opening up this offseason, that seems like a questionable decision.

Still, they drew high marks for the selection of outside linebacker Eli Harold in the third round. Harold was considered a Day 1 talent by many, and he should be able to contribute as a rookie. Tight end Blake Bell has a lot of potential and could wind up being the successor to the aging Vernon Davis. Jaquiski Tartt in the second round could be a steal. Tartt is a small-school safety, a position where the 49ers will have a hole if Eric Reid gets hurt again or Antoine Bethea leaves after this season.

While many joked about the Rams taking a total of four offensive linemen over the course of the draft, the moves made sense. They needed to up the protection for Nick Foles, who will likely be the starting quarterback next season, and the team also wants to transition to a power running game. It seems strange to want four rookies on your offensive line all at once, but the Rams should be able to find something that sticks with those selections.

Todd Gurley should be the feature back of that power running team, and the Rams used the No. 10 overall pick on him. You can argue that they have bigger needs than running back, but if the team is serious about running the ball, this was the best draft at the position in ages. Rob Havenstein was an odd choice in the second round, but among him, Jamon Brown, Andrew Donnal and Cody Wichmann, the Rams should be able to find a couple starters.