The Jeffery Simmons trade to the Chicago Bears has already nudged the Tennessee Titans into their next rebuild phase, and it also changes the pressure on the front office. General manager Mike Borgonzi made the kind of major move this roster needed, but now Tennessee has two first-round picks in next year’s draft, and the margin for error gets a lot thinner.
Using NFL.com’s 2027 draft order entering Week 8, the Titans can start mapping out how to use those picks. One obvious place to begin is on defense, where South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart stands out as one of the cleaner prospects on the board.
Stewart has the kind of frame teams love off the edge at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, and he’s already produced two sacks and three forced fumbles for the Gamecocks this season. In his third year, he has become one of the SEC’s premier pass rushers and looks well past the point of simply being a promising name.
For Tennessee, he would make sense anywhere in the first round. Stewart’s ability to collapse the pocket and beat blockers to the spot for quick tackles for loss gives him a rare kind of disruptive profile in this class. In Saleh’s defense, the 21-year-old would step right in as a plug-and-play boost for a unit that just lost its best player.
The second pick is where things get spicier. Cam Ward is only in his second season, but his regression has become too hard to wave away. The Titans’ current direction suggests they do not believe this group is close to competing right now, and that makes a quarterback swing feel almost inevitable.
That’s why Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr lands here late in the first round.
Jordan Reid ranked Carr as the fourth quarterback in his draft rankings earlier this month, and an AFC area scout told Reid: "I think he's the most NFL-ready from an awareness and processing standpoint."
Carr may not bring the same explosiveness as Drew Mestemaker or Trinidad Chambliss, but he looks like the safer bet. Through seven games in his junior season, he has thrown 16 touchdowns and only one interception, while Notre Dame sits at 6-1.
He has also put up an 84.8 QBR and 1,639 passing yards. The appeal shows up on tape, too: Carr makes smart decisions, throws with natural arm talent, and plays with the kind of football IQ that jumps off the screen. In a lot of ways, he’s the opposite type of prospect from Ward, and for Tennessee, that may be exactly the point.
In Other News...
Jeffery Simmons Revealed The Part Of Leaving Titans That Hurt Most
Jeffery Simmons did not sound like a player focused only on the football side of a major move. After being traded to the Chicago Bears, the defensive tackle opened up about how difficult it was to leave his family in Nashville, a personal layer to a deal that already carried plenty of weight for both teams.
Chicago paid a steep price to get him, sending two first-round picks to Tennessee, a clear sign the Bears believe Simmons can be a difference-maker as they chase a division title under coach Dennis Allen. He arrives with strong defensive production this season, but the emotional adjustment may be just as real as the football transition as he settles into a new locker room and a new city. [Read more 🡒]
3 Titans Rookies Are Still Waiting For Their Chance
The Titans have spent much of the season trying to sort out their rookie class, and three names keep coming up for the wrong reasons. Nick Singleton, Jackie Marshall and Pat Coogan have all been around the conversation without making much of a mark, which is a reminder that not every first-year player finds an immediate lane in the NFL. For Tennessee, the issue is less about pedigree than opportunity, and in each case there has been at least some opening to claim a bigger role.
Singleton has had chances but has struggled with vision and awareness, while Marshall was passed over on the depth chart even when he had a shot to climb. Coogans situation is a little different, since injuries elsewhere have not translated into meaningful work for him. There is still time for all three to change the story before the season is over, but for now the Titans are waiting to see which rookie, if any, can finally turn a small opening into something more substantial. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Still Have 3 Reasons To Believe Against Cincinnati
Even after the close loss to Cleveland and the stunning trade of defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears, there are still a few signs Tennessee is not simply limping into Week 8. The Titans have found a little more rhythm on the ground, and the offense has put up more points in back-to-back weeks, which at least suggests some progress as they get ready for Cincinnati.
The defense has also given the Titans something to hang onto, forcing five turnovers over the last two games and creating extra chances for an offense that has not had much margin for error. Cincinnati brings a dangerous attack, so Tennessee will need those recent positives to travel with it, but the broader picture is not as bleak as it might have looked a week ago. [Read more 🡒]