Projecting the 2016 NFL Draft Order: Week 5

The NFL Season is in full swing and we are getting a clear picture of which teams will be fighting for the playoffs and the ones in contention for an early draft pick. This projected 2016 NFL Draft order is based off the updated ESPN power rankings and then works a playoff scenario.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3)- Jameis Winston is going to have plenty of games this season where he looks lost, but he’ll mix in some good performances. His future is still bright and we shouldn’t look too much into the struggles of a rookie quarterback.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)- Jacksonville is a team that isn’t use to winning football games and it showed this weekend. On a positive note, Allen Hurns continues to put up numbers and establish himself as a solid NFL receiver.

3. Miami Dolphins (1-3)- A coaching change isn’t going to turn things around in Miami. This team is lost and will go through some major changes this offseason.

4. Chicago Bears (1-3)- The box scores haven’t been pretty but the Bears have actually been competitive in each of their games. This is more about coaching than talent on the field which means the future is bright but there will be more losses to come this year.

5. Houston Texans (1-3)- Bill O’Brien is just spinning his wheels at this point trying to figure out the quarterback situation in Houston. The fact is that this team isn’t playing good football as a whole and we might start hearing some whispers about O’Brien’s job security.

6. San Francisco 49ers (1-3)- Colin Kaepernick looks completely lost on the field and playing with very little confidence. There needs to be some major improvement to prevent the 49ers from moving on from Kaepernick.

7. Detroit Lions (0-4)- The Lions have had a lot of talent on their roster for several years now but continue to find a way to disappoint. This might be the biggest blow yet as this team is likely another loss or two from eliminating all playoff hopes.

8. Cleveland Browns (1-3)- Cleveland is going to surprise some people this year because Josh McCown is playing some solid football. The problem is that this does nothing to help the future because they won’t make the playoffs and McCown is not the long-term solution.

9. Washington Redskins (2-2)- Washington’s win-loss record depends directly on Kirk Cousins’ ability to avoid turnovers. Unfortunately, he has yet to show he’s capable of protecting the football.

10. Tennessee Titans (1-2)- Ken Whisenhunt has done a great job putting together a strong game plan to help Marcus Mariota succeed. However, defenses are going to figure out slow down this game plan and Mariota will need to throw the ball further than 10 yards down field.

11. Philadelphia Eagles (1-3)- The struggles continue and things along the offensive line aren’t getting better thanks to a string of injuries.

12. New Orleans Saints (1-3)- New Orleans might be the hardest team to figure out with a string of up and down performances.

13. Oakland Raiders (2-2)- The Raiders suffered a tough lost against the Chicago Bears, but still showed that they are capable of staying in the playoff hunt all season.

14. Baltimore Ravens (1-3)- Baltimore is really going to struggle moving the football until Steve Smith returns to the lineup. This is an issue because the defense isn’t as strong as previous years.

15. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)- The Chiefs getting Shaun Smith back in the will really help this defense which is the backbone of this team.

16. San Diego Chargers (2-2)- This seems like the same old Chargers team that shows a ton of promise but is unable to take that next step.

17. New York Giants (2-2)- The NFC East is wide open and the Giants are heating up just in time to take control.

18. Minnesota Vikings (2-2)- Minnesota will rebound after running into the buzz-saw that is the Denver Broncos defense.

19. Buffalo Bills (2-2)- It’s really tough to get a feel for this Bills team who have two good wins and two blowout losses.

20. St. Louis Rams (2-2)- I believe in Todd Gurley’s talent but I need a few more weeks before I jump on the Rams bandwagon. Their lack of a passing attack will make it tough for Gurley to find running room on a weekly basis.

21. Indianapolis Colts (2-2)- Indianapolis is far from out of the woods and still looks like a team in flux. They eked out their last two wins against teams that are expected to finish in the bottom half of the standings.

22. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)- I’m starting to think that we will be seeing Matt Cassel in the very near future. This team needs a spark and must stop the bleeding.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) Michael Vick showed this past week that he has enough in the tank to keep Pittsburgh in the playoff hunt.

24. Carolina Panthers (4-0)- Carolina needs to go out and make a trade to bring in some offensive firepower. Cam Newton can lead this team to the playoffs again but they’re on track for another early exit.

25. New York Jets (3-1)- Despite their strong start, I have a feeling that Ryan Fitzpatrick is on a short leash. The Jets have an elite defense and solid offensive weapons with only the quarterback position as a potential thorn in their side.

26. Seattle Seahawks (2-2)- Seattle’s defense is back to their old form looking very dominant. However, they need to start opening up the offense if they want to make it back to the Super Bowl.

27. Atlanta Falcons (4-0)- Not many people saw the Atlanta Falcons jumping out to such a hot start. The important thing to note is that this doesn’t appear to be smoke and mirrors– they are hear to stay.

28. Cincinnati Bengals (4-0)- The Cincinnati Bengals should absolutely be in the discussion as the top team in the NFL. They might not be getting more love in the power rankings because Andy Dalton is less proven than the quarterbacks higher on this list.

29. Arizona Cardinals (3-1)- Arizona came down to earth a little this week after being run over by Todd Gurley. However, they shouldn’t be too worried as they remain one of the best teams in the league.

30. Denver Broncos (4-0)- This defense is an absolute nightmare and will be a problem for everyone they face.

31. Green Bay Packers (4-0)- Green Bay just keeps humming along and already have a strong grasp on the NFC North.

**New England Patriots forfeited their pick due to bounty-gate