The final installment of my 8-week series on breakout players has finally arrived. The NFC West features 3 playoff teams from a year ago, including the Super Bowl champions. Each team has made impressive moves this offseason to take a step forward, but many good players are returning. Here are my and Dan Loya’s selections for breakout players in the NFC West in 2026.
Check out the FULL series division by division!
AFC North
AFC East
AFC South
AFC West
NFC North
NFC East
NFC South
Connect with me on X to let me know how you feel about my selections, or to announce your own breakout players. @JLSports24
Seattle Seahawks
Tory Horton | WR
Tory Horton started 2025 with an impressive display for the Seahawks until injuries ended his season early. He was drafted in the 5th round following an impressive 5-year run in college football, where he collected 265 receptions, 3,615 yards, and 27 touchdowns. His 4.41 40-yard dash with a 1.53 10-yard split impressed many, especially for his 6’2″, 196-pound frame.
After a good training camp, Horton earned himself legit playing time and targets. Through the first 8 games of the season, he averaged 2.75 targets per game, which amounted to 13 catches for 161 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also earned play as the Seahawks’ primary punt returner, which led to a 95-yard punt return for a TD in a Week 3 win against the Saints.
Shin and groin injuries ultimately ended Horton’s rookie season early, but he showed plenty of promise and reason for an even bigger role in 2026. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the clear WR1, and Rashid Shaheed returns to create big plays, but there is plenty of space to insert Horton into the rotation with Cooper Kupp as a constant receiving option for Sam Darnold.
A healthy 2026 could have a lot in store for Horton. The defending Super Bowl champions know they have a difference-maker who scored on 38% of his receptions in 2025. Including his punt return ability, there are several ways to get Horton involved, and I see him getting a bigger piece of the pie this year – as he deserves.
Los Angeles Rams
Terrance Ferguson | TE
Terrance Ferguson’s 2025 season appears unimpressive at first glance, with only 11 receptions, but the tight end room was hard to get noticed in, especially as a rookie. Veterans Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, and Davis Allen led the way in 2025 as the Rams used 3-tight-end sets at the highest rate in the NFL.
Despite the addition of Max Klare in the 2026 draft, Ferguson has an opportunity to take the position by storm as the Rams’ TE1.
As a 2nd round pick, Sean McVay and company certainly planned a bigger role for Ferguson than 11 catches. Now that he has a full season under his belt, I expect Ferguson to take the lion’s share of the targets from the tight end position. In 2025, he averaged 21 yards per catch, showing that he is capable of stretching the field, and 9 of his 11 receptions resulted in a 1st down.
The Rams continue to be trend setters in the NFL, and although more teams will turn to heavy tight end usage, the Rams will lead the pack once again in 2026. With Ferguson leading that unit, I expect a major breakout season as yet another great receiving threat for Matthew Stafford.
San Francisco 49ers
Dominick Puni | RG
Since being selected in the 3rd round of the 2024 draft, Dominick Puni has been a steady presence along the 49ers’ shaky offensive line. In two years as a pro, Puni has started 34 straight games, showing his durability is not a concern.
At 6’5″ and 313 pounds, he has good size for the position, but pairs it with good movement ability. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com touched on his agility in his pre-draft evaluation, stating he has “Nimble feet to pull, find second-level angles or adjust to moving targets in space“. Kyle Shanahan’s zone blocking scheme is perfect for Puni, and in his 3rd year in the system, he could begin to excel.
In 2025, PFF graded Puni at 70.2, which was 25th among all guards – indicating an average season. During that season, he posted impressive grades against tough competition. In facing the Giants, Panthers, and Seahawks, he was graded out at 89.4, 88.1, and 84.0, respectively. Those defensive lines feature talent such as Dexter Lawrence, Derrick Brown, and Leonard Williams.
Although in short spurts, Puni has shown he can compete and succeed with the best of the NFL. Another full season as a starter, and with a healthy 49ers offensive line to support him, he can become a staple and a strength of the 49ers’ offensive line.
Arizona Cardinals
Contributed by Blitz Sports Media‘s Arizona Cardinals writer, Dan Loya. Follow him on X: @DLoya_NFL
Denzel Burke | CB
The 23-year-old cornerback appeared in 17 games (8 starts) as a rookie, recording 49 total tackles, 3 interceptions, and 11 pass defensed. Burke’s three interceptions led Arizona’s defense and were second-most among rookies behind Xavier Watts (five). Denzel Burke became the first Cardinals rookie with 3+ interceptions and 10+ passes defensed since Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (4 INT, 19 PD) in 2008.
“Wherever a guy gets drafted, I knew the player we were getting from the tape, but also being in the 30 visit, then a week or two in, you could see that this guy is very mature and ready to be a pro,” defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said of the former fifth-round draft pick. “You start four years at Ohio State, you’re probably at that stage — so no surprise, but always trying to find ways to help him grow as a player.”
Burke is projected to start opposite cornerback Will Johnson Jr. in 2026 and has a chance to build on a strong rookie season.
