Projected 2016 NFL Draft Order: Post Week 1
By Jon Dove
Sep 13, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) reacts against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
9. New York Giants
The Giants should’ve walked out of Dallas with a week 1 win but poor decision making doomed them. New York is relying on its offense to carry the load but that group wasn’t able to find a rhythm. They need Eli Manning to play at a very high level if they hope to make a playoff run.
10. Tennessee Titans
Marcus Maroita’s NFL debut was a complete success with him displaying a great feel for the offense and accuracy. Ken Whisenhunt appears to have developed a strong game plan to play to Maroita’s strengths which adds some optimism for the season.
11. New Orleans Saints
The Saints defense is still a major issue and could be the reason the team doesn’t make the playoffs. However, the long-term future is bright with rookies Stephone Anthony and Hau’oli Kikaha having a strong debut. New Orleans wanted to feature a more physical offensive attack but they struggled to establish a running game which could be a season-long problem.
12. New York Jets
The Jets have the talent needed to make a playoff run, but everything relies Ryan Fitzpatrick playing turnover-free football. This is far from a given as Fitzpatrick has shown a tendency to throw interceptions at the worst possible time. The health of Chris Ivory is something else we need to watch.
13. Detroit Lions
Matthew Stafford has elite arm-talent but it’s fair to question whether or not he’s a winner. His bouts of inconsistency have hurt the Lions year after year and things appear to be the same for this season. The one hope is that Ameer Abdullah could be enough of a factor in the ground game to take some pressure off of Stafford.
14. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers played an inspired game against the Vikings where they dominated the offensive and defensive line of scrimmage. Despite all the personnel losses, this is a team with enough talent to make a surprise run at the playoffs. The key is whether or not the coaching staff is willing to let Colin Kaepernick to play to his strength and use his legs when he feels necessary.
15. Carolina Panthers
This season started out much like how all of last year went with an ugly win. Carolina continues to find ways to win football games, but this may be the season where their weakness become too much to overcome. The lack of offensive line talent, playmakers on offense and secondary depth are all significant enough to derail the season.
16. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins didn’t look great in their win over the Washington Redskins but I’m willing to chalk that up to early-season growing pains. Miami has the talent on both sides of the ball to things interesting in the AFC East. This could finally be the year where someone unseats the New England Patriots.
Next: No. 17 to No. 24