WWE Mock Draft 2016: Full Roster Projections and Bold Predictions

WWE is just hours away from one of its most telling periods in history, as the brand split will return on the new-look SmackDown this Tuesday.

There are many aspects of it to run through, which makes for a compelling few days for the company and its fans.

But before the draft takes place, here's a look at what we can expect—including some predictions about what will happen in the aftermath.

The Rules

WWE outlined the main rules for the draft on its official website over the weekend. In case you missed them, they are:

• Raw has the first overall pick
• Since SmackDown Live is a two-hour show and Raw is three hours, for every two picks SmackDown Live receives, Raw will receive three picks
• Tag teams count as one pick unless a commissioner/general manager specifically only wants one member of the team 
• Six draft picks will be made off the NXT roster

So with all that in mind, let's address some of those rules as we begin to throw together a mock draft.

The NXT Picks

Deciding the six draft picks that come from NXT is a tricky task because there's a fine line between taking someone who is ready for the main roster and someone who still has things to achieve in NXT. 

But luckily, some of the decisions WWE has to make when it calls up some stars from NXT are easy. Finn Balor will be one of the top overall selections. It's almost guaranteed that Balor will join the main roster right now—his defeat at the hands of Shinsuke Nakamura last week probably served as his farewell.

Elsewhere, now seems to be the right time for Bayley to move up, too—and the same probably applies for American Alpha. Aside from that, it's tough to predict which other stars will move up. But in the interest of WWE entering a New Era, perhaps moving someone like Corey Graves up to the main roster would be beneficial, as he's the kind of guy who could refresh a brand on commentary.

Top-Tier Talent

The brand split and subsequent extension gives WWE the opportunity to handpick new talent for the main event scene.

Different rosters for different brands means there will be more openings at the top, and it would be great to see genuine parity between the two shows.

On Raw, let's see the exciting young talent given a chance to compete for a major title—with veterans being drafted to SmackDown. 

So the Raw main event stars are as follows:

• Dean Ambrose
• Seth Rollins
• Kevin Owens
• Cesaro
• Sami Zayn
• Bray Wyatt
• Finn Balor

And on SmackDown:

• Roman Reigns
• Brock Lesnar
• John Cena
• Randy Orton
• AJ Styles
• Rusev
• Alberto Del Rio

The Women's Division

There are some arguments that suggest the women's division should be exclusive to one brand, and although that does have its merits, that would mean robbing one show of a division that could still become exciting in the months ahead.

With Bayley likely to be promoted to the main roster and other stars like Asuka to follow later, there is enough depth to have a split in the women's division—with the champion, Charlotte, roaming between both shows.

So Raw would look like this:

• Sasha Banks
• Bayley
• Dana Brooke
• Natalya
• Alicia Fox
• Naomi

And SmackDown:

• Asuka
• Becky Lynch
• Paige
• Summer Rae
• Eva Marie

The Tag Division

Like the women's division, the tag division stays across both brands. The champions, The New Day, will roam across both shows, and with so many teams to pick from, here's the makeup of it all, starting with Raw:

• Enzo Amore and Big Cass
• Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson
• The Vaudevillains
• Golden Truth
• The Ascension

And SmackDown:

• The Usos
• The Social Outcasts
• The Dudley Boyz
• Breezango
• The Shining Stars

Bold Predictions

Stables will be broken up. WWE's list on its official website has interestingly chosen to place The Wyatt Family as individual stars, which suggests they will be going their separate ways. It makes sense to have Bray Wyatt on Raw, as he is a world champion of the future. That means Erick Rowan and Braun Strowman go to SmackDown.

And expect The Club to go a similar way, as it also wasn't listed as a team or a group on WWE's website. AJ Styles will head up SmackDown's revamped roster, with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson as the big tag team on Raw.

Plus, the return of a second world title seems inevitable. That will happen immediately with the return of the World Heavyweight Championship—and AJ Styles will be the first holder.

Finally, it's obvious that the midcard titles will split, so the United States Championship goes with Rusev to SmackDown, and the Intercontinental Championship becomes a Raw-exclusive title.