NFL Draft order 2015: 49ers climb a couple spots

The San Francisco 49ers loss to the San Diego Chargers was not pretty, but they did benefit in one way. The 49ers fell to 7-8, and with a couple other losses around the league, the 49ers climbed from No. 16 to No. 14 in the 2015 NFL Draft order. The 49ers are tied with the Cleveland Browns, with Carolina percentage points ahead of them at 6-8-1. The Rams, Giants, Saints, Vikings and Falcons are a game ahead of them in the draft order courtesy of their 6-9 records.

In Week 17, the 49ers will host an Arizona Cardinals squad that is wrapping up their Week 16 matchup with the Seahawks. Arizona is trailing and if they lose, they will be tied with Seattle, with the Seahawks holding the head-to-head tiebreaker. That would leave Arizona with a shot at the NFC West title, which means there is no reason for them to bench players. If the 49ers play like they have in recent weeks, that would seem likely to lead to a 7-9 record. If they win, they could end up drafting as anywhere from 14 to 18.

Cleveland will travel to face Baltimore, with the Ravens needing a win and a Chargers loss to get a wild card berth. I suspect Baltimore bounces back from their poor performance this week, but maybe we can see the Browns get the victory. That would move the 49ers up to the No. 13 spot. If the Rams were to beat the Seahawks, there is a chance they too would drop behind the 49ers, but I don't think anybody expects a Rams upset. A 49ers loss would likely mean a pick of No. 13 or No. 14.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are holding on to the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, but it is a close race at the top. They are tied with the Tennessee Titans at 2-13, and the Bucs have the slight edge in strength of schedule (0.4833 for Bucs, 0.4958 for Titans). The Bucs close out the season at home against the Saints, while the Titans are at home against the Indianapolis Colts. The Jaguars, Jets and Raiders are a game behind those two.