The Tennessee Titans already have us looking ahead to the 2027 NFL draft. They traded superstar defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears for a record haul. Simmons is the first defensive tackle in the Super Bowl era to be traded for two first-round picks.

Tennessee gets Chicago’s 2027 and 2028 first-round picks, plus a 2027 fourth-round pick. The Titans also sent a 2028 fifth-rounder to the Bears along with Simmons.

Titans GM Mike Borgonzi has talked about a three-year cycle of roster construction and windows. The team says the trade doesn’t mean anything about Cam Ward. We (the collective “we”) read between the lines and think it means a lot about Cam Ward.

So let’s run a 4-round Titans mock draft for 2027 using the A to Z Sports mock draft simulator. The simulator has already been updated to give Tennessee the Bears’ picks, currently projected at No. 25 and No. 126 in the reverse Super Bowl odds order.

Ground rules: No quarterback, no trades

First, I’m not drafting a quarterback. Another rookie quarterback isn’t the right direction for this team. If this quarterback class had performed better on the field this fall, maybe it would be different. Easton Freeze has more on the quarterback fallout from the Simmons trade coming on our Titans page, so keep it bookmarked.

In my opinion, one of two things happens. Either Ward miraculously earns the 2027 starting job over the next 10 games, or Tennessee finds a veteran who is better (and more expensive) than Mitch Trubisky. That veteran would at least compete with Ward and, at most, start. It’s somewhat similar to the Marcus Mariota and Ryan Tannehill setup before the 2019 season.

This team has a lot of holes. More draft capital is how you fill them.

The current order has the Titans picking 2nd overall with their own pick, 25th with Chicago’s first, 34th, 66th, and 103rd with their own picks, and 126th with the Bears’ fourth. I’m not making any more trades. Let’s stay on task.

One more thing. If Jeremiah Smith gets past whoever picks first, whether it’s the Dolphins or Chargers, I’m taking the Ohio State receiver. I don’t care that Tennessee just took Carnell Tate fourth overall. I don’t care at all.

Pick No. 2: Colin Simmons, EDGE, Texas

In this mock, the Dolphins took Smith. So one Simmons out, another Simmons in.

Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons is a bona fide dude. He’s dealing with an ankle injury, but he already has 10 sacks (half of those came against the Tennessee Volunteers in late September), 15.5 tackles for loss, 24 total tackles, and a fumble recovery. He’s a high-motor kid with polish to go with the production. Simmons had nine sacks as a true freshman in 2024 and 15 in 2025.

If I didn’t go Simmons, I’d take Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore. He’s a slam dunk corner, and the Titans haven’t had one in I don’t know how long. I’m not big on South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart right now because of the back issue and the off-the-field struggles, even though he’s a freak athlete.

Pick No. 25: Kade Pieper, IOL, Iowa

This is where things get goofy because it’s so early in the process. A few receivers, defensive tackles, and cornerbacks like Mississippi State’s Kelley Jones could fall here. None I liked were available.

So I went with Iowa interior offensive lineman Kade Pieper. It usually turns out pretty good when you draft an Iowa lineman.

Ryan Roberts, who handles a lot of our draft coverage, agrees with me that Pieper could be a long-term center. Whether or not Fernando Carmona returns from his ankle injury as the right guard of the future, Austin Schlottmann at center is someone to watch. Pat Coogan, this year’s sixth-rounder, could be quality depth for his entire rookie contract. Pieper working between Peter Skoronski and Carmona? I like the idea.

Pick No. 34: Xavier Gilliam, DT, Tennessee

Somewhat of a local name here. The Penn State transfer has been an absolute game wrecker for the Vols, with six sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, and two fumble recoveries in eight games.

He’s not Jeffery Simmons, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But he has that quickness off the line to penetrate the backfield or shoot a gap to beat a double team. Getting Gilliam at 34? Hell yeah.

The concern is one year of production. He had only a half sack at Penn State before busting out under Jim Knowles in 2026. Still, he’s an explosive, attacking lineman who fits Robert Saleh’s scheme and could grow into Simmons’ shoes. Let’s just be patient on that part.

Pick No. 66: Luke Reynolds, TE, Virginia Tech

I didn’t plan a trench-heavy mock, but that’s where the Titans need the most help. Reynolds followed James Franklin from Penn State to Virginia Tech and has almost 500 receiving yards on 50 catches with six touchdowns. He’s the third-best tight end on our simulator.

He’s got soft hands and more blocking ability on the line than Gunnar Helm. He’s not a speed guy, but he wins with body positioning. Think a more polished version of Helm who helps the run game and makes life easier for whoever plays quarterback in 2027.

Picks No. 103 and 126: Amari Thomas, WR, Houston, and Jamari Sharpe, CB, Indiana

Thomas is a slightly-under-6-foot slot receiver who’s fun to watch after the catch. He could be a size, athleticism, and explosiveness upgrade over Wan’Dale Robinson. The 2027 season is the second year of Robinson’s contract and the final year of his guaranteed money. Thomas could be groomed to make Robinson expendable after that.

Sharpe is fast, with a 40-yard dash time said to be in the 4.3s. He’s a zone corner with good reading instincts and physicality, which sounds exactly like what this team needs. He was part of last season’s national championship team and, in his fourth year, has three career interceptions, more than 100 tackles, and 19 passes defended. He’s a strong Day 3 scheme fit for Saleh.

This is our first real look at the immediate return on Jeffery Simmons, with pick No. 25 and pick No. 126 landing in this draft . . . as it stands now.