The Titans’ blockbuster deal sending Jeffery Simmons away has already changed the shape of their future, and the return gives Tennessee real ammunition. With two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder coming back, including a 2027 first-round selection from the Chicago Bears, the conversation quickly shifts to who the Titans should chase next.
If Tennessee is going to use that pick to strengthen the defense, Xavier Gilliam belongs right near the top of the board. The Tennessee defensive tackle has exploded in his first season with the Volunteers after spending two years at Penn State, and his production has been impossible to miss.
Through eight games, Gilliam has piled up six sacks, two forced fumbles and 25 total tackles. More often than not, when he gets home, the result is either a stop behind the line or the ball popping loose. His burst and the way he works off blockers make him hard to ignore, and his earlier stint with the Nittany Lions hasn’t slowed the momentum he has built this fall.
Will Echoles is the other defensive tackle Tennessee should have circled as it looks for Simmons’ replacement. He may not bring the same explosiveness, but he brings steady disruption and a profile that scouts have taken seriously, including a top-10 spot in Jordan Reid’s draft ranking.
The Ole Miss defensive tackle has 21 total tackles and 1.5 sacks as a first-year starter, and he has shown a knack for getting into the backfield with his footwork and quick pressure. His best game last month came in a win over LSU, when he racked up seven pressures, three tackles for loss and a sack. At 20 years old, he has the kind of upside that could really take off in the right system.
That is part of what makes Tennessee a plausible landing spot. Robert Saleh’s defense gives a player like Echoles a place to develop, and the Titans’ scheme could give him room to grow into much more.
There is also a different route on the board: take the best defensive talent available, even if that means moving away from defensive tackle. Dylan Stewart has forced his way into the conversation as one of the class’ premier edge players.
The South Carolina edge rusher, now in his third year, has two sacks and three forced fumbles this season, and his burst and movement off the edge stand out in this draft class. He has a knack for finding gaps in offensive lines and getting there faster than everyone else, a trait that points to a high football IQ and a strong floor as a playmaker.
Stewart is widely expected to go in the top five, maybe even higher, no matter who is picking. If Tennessee ends up in position to grab him, it could simply come down to taking the best player and sorting out the rest later.
In Other News...
Titans Suddenly Loom In The Race For A Rising 2027 Quarterback
A recent ESPN poll of 25 NFL scouts and executives has already started reshaping the early 2027 quarterback conversation, and Oklahoma States Drew Mestemaker is now the name drawing the most attention. After an August poll pointed more toward Dante Moore and Arch Manning, the latest look suggests Mestemaker has moved to the front of the pack, a reminder that the draft board is still in its earliest and most fluid stage.
For Tennessee, that matters because the Titans are the kind of team that could be watching this race closely as the season unfolds and the draft picture comes into focus. The article points to possible landing spots based on current team needs and recent trades, but with the order still unsettled and evaluations likely to keep shifting, the Titans are suddenly part of a conversation that could look very different by the time 2027 arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Trade Suddenly Raises An Uncomfortable Question About What They Gave Up
Jeffery Simmons move from Tennessee to Chicago came together fast enough to leave the Titans with a familiar kind of second-guessing hanging over the deal. What made the trade stand out was not just the player involved, but the way it unfolded behind the scenes, with reports saying Giants coach John Harbaugh directly reached out to Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk in an effort to land Simmons even after Tennessee had initially denied it was shopping him.
For the Titans, the bigger issue now is whether the market was fully tested or whether relationships helped shape the outcome more than the usual trade process would suggest. In a league where front offices talk constantly but personal connections still matter, this kind of move can prompt an uncomfortable follow-up question: did Tennessee get the best possible offer for one of its most important assets, or did the timing and the people involved narrow the return before the bidding really opened up? [Read more 🡒]
Calvin Ridley Just Got A Huge Titans Opportunity At A Telling Time
Jeffery Simmons is gone, and the timing could hardly be more awkward for a Titans team heading into Week 8 already dealing with injuries and a thinner margin for error. The move leaves Tennessee short on one of its most important defensive pieces, but it also has ripple effects on the other side of the ball, where Calvin Ridley suddenly finds himself in a much bigger spot than he has had for much of this season.
Ridleys role has faded as the year has gone on, and his future in Tennessee is still very much up in the air with the November 10 trade deadline approaching. For a veteran receiver who has seen limited involvement, the coming stretch could amount to more than just extra snaps, it may be a chance to show enough to shape what comes next. [Read more 🡒]