Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The assignment was simple. Identify a future star in the NFC West and justify the selection. The choice was easier than expected. Patrick Willis of the 49ers came to mind immediately, but he went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie last season. That makes him a star already.

The Rams like middle linebacker Will Witherspoon, but he's been around a while. The scouts I spoke with endorsed Seattle's Leroy Hill without reservation. Some liked Hill as much or more than they liked teammates Lofa Tatupu and Julian Peterson. That seemed like unusually high praise until Tatupu and Peterson pretty much agreed. The result: the story about Hill that appeared on the site Tuesday.

Help me out here. Let's come up with a short list of potential future stars around the division. Manny Lawson? Joe Staley? Josh Morgan? John Carlson? Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie? Let's hear some names.