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A day after the 2015 NFL Draft, I posted a 2016 NFL mock draft and said that would be the only one I posted until the fall. Well, apparently I lied, but for a good reason! ESPN's Todd McShay posted a 2016 NFL mock draft, and while the player he picked (Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell) holds little value to us right now, McShay's draft order actually holds some early value.
The folks at Football Outsiders have a partnership with ESPN, and they provide a variety of content on the Insider platform. FO will release their Almanac this summer, in which they will provide probabilities on various win projections. McShay got his hands on early win projections, and used those to establish his draft order.
According to FO's early projections, the 49ers are looking at a potential 7-9 season, with the 13th pick of the first round. FO is not predicting this specifically will happen, but rather, the odds are highest for this result. Here is how FO's early look has the NFC West, and it is interesting to say the least:
Seattle Seahawks: 12-4
San Francisco 49ers: 7-9
Arizona Cardinals: 6-10
St. Louis Rams: 6-10
I'm very curious to see what FO has to say about the Cardinals heading into 2015. They are clearly high on the Seahawks, with the best potential record for 2015. The Dolphins, Cowboys and Patriots are all projected at 11-5. That's just a little bit interesting.
And for those wondering what McShay has to say about the 49ers wide receiver pick:
He is coming off a nasty broken ankle against Auburn this season, so his recovery and long-term durability prognosis will be closely monitored. But when healthy, Treadwell is a big (6-2, 229), explosive athlete with the physicality and leaping ability to win jump-ball situations.