SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- At 4-11 with a home game against the St. Louis Rams all that’s left for the San Francisco 49ers until they go on the clock for the 2016 NFL draft, where would the 49ers pick if the draft were held today?
They'd pick in the same position that they would have one week ago -- fifth, per ESPN Stats & Info.
And with the Tennessee Titans (3-12) and Cleveland Browns (3-12) playing the Indianapolis Colts (7-8) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6), in their respective finales, it’s unlikely the Niners would finish in a three-way tie with the Titans and Browns for the worst record in the NFL and win (lose?) a tie-breaker to get the No. 1 overall pick for the second time in franchise history.
As it stands now, with to the tiebreaker being strength of schedule and the Titans having the much easier schedule, the Niners have a 0.0 percent chance at the top pick, per ESPN’s Football Power Index, while the Titans have an 84 percent chance at the top pick a year after selecting quarterback Marcus Mariota second overall.
The San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys are both also 4-11 and close with the Denver Broncos (11-4) and Washington (8-7), respectively.
The Niners have only had two Top 5 picks in the common draft era -- quarterbacks Steve Spurrier at No. 3 in 1967 and Alex Smith at No. 1 in 2005.