NFL Draft order 2016: Dolphins creeping into a top ten pick for 2016 after Week 9

The Miami Dolphins are 3-5 on the season. Somehow, they are both in the chase for the NFL Playoffs and in the chase for a top ten pick in next year's NFL Draft. It is confusing, it is odd, and it just feels like the Dolphins. Earlier today, we took a look at the AFC Playoff standings, so now we turn around and look at the current draft order.

The NFL orders the draft based on worst record the preceeding season to best record not to make the Playoffs. The 12 teams that make the Playoffs are then ordered based on where they finish in the postseason (Super Bowl winner gets the last pick at 32, Super Bowl runner up gets 31, Conference Championship losing teams are 30 and 29, based on record, etc.). Ties between records are broken based on strength of schedule (weakest SOS receiving the better pick), then on conference record, and finally a coin flip. Teams with identical records then rotate through each round, for example, if Team A picks 12th with an 8-8 record, then Team B picks 13th with an 8-8 record, and Team C also has an 8-8 record picking 14th, in Round 2, Team B will pick 12th, Team C will pick 13th, and Team A will pick 14th. That rotation continues throughout the seven rounds.

Currently, the Detroit Lions hold on to the first overall pick with a 1-7 record. The San Diego Chargers are second with a 2-7 record and a .508 strength of schedule, breaking the 2-7 tie with the Cleveland Browns, who are third. The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6, .444) are in the fourth position, followed by the Tennessee Titans (2-6, .459), the Baltimore Ravens (2-6, .507), and the Dallas Cowboys (2-6, .539).

The eighth pick currently belongs to the San Francisco 49ers as the lone 3-6 team. The group of 3-5 teams then run from the 9th pick to the 14th selection, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (.448) at number 9, the Miami Dolphins (.481) tenth, the Houston Texans (.485) 11th, the Chicago Bears (.500, 0-5 in conference) 12th, the Kansas City Chiefs (.500, 2-2 in conference) 13th, and the Washington Redskins (.500, 3-2 in conference) 14th. The New Orleans Saints round out the top 15 picks with a 4-5 record.

The full draft order as it currently stands, courtesy Mocking the Draft's Dan Kadar, is:

1. Detroit Lions: 1-7 (.542 strength of schedule)
2. San Diego Chargers: 2-7 (.508 SOS)
3. Cleveland Browns: 2-7 (.530 SOS)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars: 2-6 (.444 SOS)
5. Tennessee Titans: 2-6 (.459 SOS)
6. Baltimore Ravens: 2-6 (.507 SOS)
7. Dallas Cowboys: 2-6 (.539 SOS)
8. San Francisco 49ers: 3-6 (.545 SOS)
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3-5 (.448 SOS)
10. Miami Dolphins: 3-5 (.481 SOS)
11. Houston Texans: 3-5 (.485 SOS)
12. Chicago Bears: 3-5 (.500 SOS 0-5 in conference)
13. Kansas City Chiefs: 3-5 (.500 SOS - 2-2 in conference)
14. Washington: 3-5 (.500 SOS - 3-2 in conference)
15. New Orleans Saints: 4-5 (.439 SOS)
16. Philadelphia Eagles: 4-4 (.485 SOS - 3-4 in conference)
17. Oakland Raiders: 4-4 (.485 SOS - 4-3 in conference)
18. St. Louis Rams: 4-4 (.492 SOS - 3-3 in conference)
19. Seattle Seahawks: 4-4 (.492 SOS - 4-3 in conference)
20. Buffalo Bills: 4-4 (.523 SOS)

Projected to make the playoffs:

21. Indianapolis Colts: 4-5 (.481 SOS)
22. New York Giants: 5-4 (.489 SOS)
23. Pittsburgh Steelers: 5-4 (.519 SOS)
24. New York Jets: 5-3 (.466 SOS)
25. Atlanta Falcons: 6-3 (.421 SOS)
26. Green Bay Packers: 6-2 (.454 SOS)
27. Arizona Cardinals: 6-2 (.474 SOS)
28. Minnesota Vikings: 6-2 (.485 SOS)
29. Denver Broncos: 7-1 (.474 SOS)
30. Cincinnati Bengals: 8-0 (.433 SOS)
31. Carolina Panthers: 8-0 (.455 SOS)
32. New England Patriots: 8-0 (.466 SOS) - PICK FORFEITED