The Tennessee Titans' 2026 season is trending down heading into their Week 10 matchup versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. General manager Mike Borgonzi fully embraced the tank at the NFL trade deadline. Borgonzi traded his two best defensive players, Jeffery Simmons and Amani Hookers, for 2027 and 2028 draft picks.
Cam Ward and the Titans offense is trending in the right direction. Robert Saleh has a difficult (maybe impossible?) task ahead to coach this defense without Simmons and Hooker for the remainder of the campaign. The 1-7 Titans may firmly be playing for draft positioning.
The Titans are now equipped with a plethora of premium draft picks. Tracking the real-time order of their upcoming selections may be more exciting than watching them play on Sundays. Let's analyze where they are in the draft order, review Borgonzi's war-chest, and assess their chances of landing Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Updated 2027 NFL Draft first round order and where Titans land
1. Los Angeles Chargers (0-8)
2. Tennessee Titans (1-7)
3. Miami Dolphins (1-7)
4. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts, 2-7)
5. Philadelphia Eagles (2-7)
6. New York Jets (2-7)
7. Washington Commanders (2-5-1)
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6)
9. Arizona Cardinals (3-6)
10. Atlanta Falcons (3-6)
......
30. Tennessee Titans (via Chicago Bears, 7-2)
The Titans continue trending for the No. 2 overall selection despite being tied with the Miami Dolphins with a 1-7 record. Currently, the Titans are dominating the tiebreaker because their strength of schedule (.479) is significantly easier than the Dolphins' (.586). Now, SOS changes drastically every week, so it'll be worth tracking as long they remain tied at one win apiece.
The Chargers are still winless at 0-8, making them favorites for No. 1 overall. Though the Chargers may consider replacing Justin Herbert and drafting this class' QB1 Drew Mestemaker, that's not the working expectation in November. They'd likely draft Jeremiah Smith.
The trade deadline was huge for increasing the Titans' draft capital. They traded Simmons to the Chicago Bears for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, and an additional fourth-rounder in 2027. Borgonzi also traded Hooker to the Buffalo Bills for a 2027 second-round selection.
Titans' 2027 draft picks overview
- First Round: Own pick (currently projected No.2 overall)
- First Round: Chicago Bears (currently projected No. 30)
- Second Round: Own pick (currently projected No. 35)
- Second Round: Buffalo Bills (currently projected No. 64)
- Third Round: Own pick (currently projected No. 66)
- Fourth Round: Own pick
- Fourth Round: Chicago Bears
- Sixth Round: Own pick
- Seventh Round: Own pick
Titans fans rooting for draft positioning are no longer just paying attention to their own weekly results. Following the Simmons and Hooker trades, the Titans are also incentivized to root for Bills and Bears losses. Both are considered legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Currently, the Bears' first-round selection is slated for No. 30 overall. The second-rounder coming from Buffalo is scheduled for No. 64 overall, as they are projected Super Bowl winners. Borgonzi will be anxious to learn the final fate of those selections.
What are the Titans' chances of landing star WR Jeremiah Smith?
Titans fans are infatuated with the thought of drafting Jeremiah Smith despite landing his former teammate Carnell Tate at No. 4 overall in April. Receiver is far from being the Titans' biggest positional hole (it's more of a secondary need at most). Nonetheless, it's an understandable hope given that Smith is the best receiver prospect we've ever seen.
The Titans' most glaring roster holes are at EDGE rusher and cornerback. Those positions contain some of the best prospects in the draft, including Dylan Stewart (DE), Colin Simmons (DE), and Leonard Moore (CB). The Titans could target one of those players if they don't end up at No. 1 overall.
The Titans' path to drafting Smith probably requires them to out-position the Chargers, Dolphins, and New York Jets for No. 1 overall. Right now, the biggest roadblock is the winless Chargers. It's worth noting if they end up tied for the worst record in the NFL, the Titans' SOS (.479) is the worst among No. 1 pick contenders, giving them a potential pathway to the top selection via the tiebreaker.
Titans fans have mostly shifted attention to the 2027 NFL Draft.
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