The 2015-16 NFL season has been finished for less than 24 hours, and that means it is time for way-too-early NFL power rankings! ESPN posted their first 2016 NFL power rankings, and thankfully they at least acknowledged that they are "way-too-early" for right now.
It should surprise nobody that the San Francisco 49ers are near the bottom. ESPN ranked the 49ers No. 30, just ahead of the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns. They had 21 people voting on this. They provided a write-up for each team, looking at why they are ranked where they are, and what might change.
Why they're here: The presence of Chip Kelly wasn't met with a shrug, but Kelly had more talent to work with in Philadelphia and faces the challenge of reviving Colin Kaepernick's career without many weapons on offense. Few doubt Kelly can coach, but he enters a division with three of the NFL's best defenses.
What could change: The 49ers have a ton of cap room to do some shopping, and the offensive line could be addressed. They also have the No. 7 pick in the draft. And while there's some gloom around, they also get a coach who took over a 4-12 team and won 26 games over the next three seasons without a single above-average QB.
The 49ers have the second worst Super Bowl 51 odds, and the general consensus of the national media is they have a lot of work in front of them. The cap space and draft picks certainly provide a lot of opportunity for change. Whether the change is successful remains to be seen.
For those wondering, the rest of the NFC West includes the Seattle Seahawks at No. 3, the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4, and the Los Angeles Rams at No. 25.