49ers climb into the No. 2 spot in draft order

Whether you want to root for or against this, the 49ers are looking at a significant first round draft pick in 2019.

The San Francisco 49ers head into their Week 11 bye having to swallow a bitter pill. The 49ers looked like they were going to win Nick Mullens second straight start, but some mistakes late cost them. They lost 27-23 after Eli Manning found Sterling Shepard with 53 seconds left. The 49ers had a last second shot, but could not make it happen.

The 49ers drop to 2-8 with the loss, while the Giants improve to 2-7. The 49ers improve to second in the 2019 NFL Draft order, a half game back of the 1-8 Oakland Raiders. The Giants are now tied with the Arizona Cardinals a half game back of the 49ers and a half game ahead of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. With seven weeks remaining in the 2018 season, plenty can and will change.

Here’s what the top 11 spots in the 2019 draft order look like. I went with top 11 because that includes all the teams that have three wins or fewer.

1. Oakland Raiders (1-8 — .553)
2. San Francisco 49ers (2-7 — .503)
3. New York Giants (1-7 — .517)
4. Arizona Cardinals (2-7 — .530)
5. New York Jets (3-7 — .487)
6. Buffalo Bills (3-7 — .520)
7. Detroit Lions (3-6 — .513)
8. Denver Broncos (3-6 — .527)
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6 — .534)
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6 — .541)
11. Cleveland Browns (3-6-1 — .555)

The 49ers have a bye this week, and then host the Bucs in Week 12. Fittingly, the Bucs will enter that game coming off a Week 11 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If we’re talking just draft order, we want to see the Giants beat the Bucs in Week 11 to give the 49ers a little more breathing room on the higher end of things if they find some wins the rest of their schedule.

Week 11 has another huge matchup with the 2-7 Cardinals hosting the 1-8 Raiders. This could very well end up being the Raiders last best chance at a win this season. They might spring an upset or two the rest of the way, but Arizona is one of the few truly awful teams they face the rest of the way.