The San Francisco 49ers dropped to 4-11 with their Week 16 loss, and now head into the final week of the regular season with a chance to secure a top five pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Monday Night Football features the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos, so following Sunday's action, we know the 49ers will head into Week 17 holding the No. 5 pick of the draft.
Here is how the draft order looks following Sunday Night Football:
1. Tennessee Titans (3-12) - .492
2. Cleveland Browns (3-12) - .534
3. San Diego Chargers (4-11) - .525
4. Dallas Cowboys (4-11) - .534
5. San Francisco 49ers (4-11) - .552
6. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10) - .471
7. Miami Dolphins (5-10) - .475
8. Baltimore Ravens (5-10) - .504
The 49ers play host to the 7-8 St. Louis Rams this coming Sunday to close out the 2015 regular season. A 49ers loss locks up no worse than the fifth spot in the 2016 NFL Draft. They could improve to fourth or third with Chargers and/or Cowboys wins. I believe it is mathematically impossible for the 49ers to surpass a winning Tennessee Titans squad, while the Browns are a little less certain. And that's assuming the Browns actually win next weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A 49ers win would mean the 49ers draft anywhere between No. 5 and No. 8 position. That all means the 49ers have secured at least a top eight pick in the upcoming draft. All the between 3-12 and 5-10 are playing different teams this weekend, so there are no "guaranteed wins" among the group. Here is the full schedule.
Week 17 schedule
New England Patriots (12-3) @ Miami Dolphins (5-10)
Baltimore Ravens (5-10) @ Cincinnati Bengals (11-3)
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6) @ Cleveland Browns (3-12)
Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10) @ Houston Texans (8-7)
Tennessee Titans (3-12) @ Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
Washington (8-7) @ Dallas Cowboys (4-11)
San Diego Chargers (4-11) @ Denver Broncos (10-4)