The Tennessee Titans know they have problems to solve. And it likely won't get any easier after trading Jeffery Simmons. So let’s look ahead to next year. Here is the Titans’ seven-round 2027 NFL Draft, according to the Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator during their bye week.
Heading into Week 9, the Titans carry a record of 1-7. They’re headed for a third straight season of 14 losses unless they can stem the tide and find a way to win games. If they do get a high pick, let’s see who they might land.
Round 1, Pick 2: LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa
The Titans get a stud to start things off. Viliamu-Asa is that level of player, according to NFL Draft Buzz.
“Viliamu-Asa is a do-everything off-ball linebacker whose run defense sits at the top of the position,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “He is a downhill force who also plays over the slot and on the line, with the range, trigger, and alignment flexibility to cover, blitz, and take on blocks. Before his injury in 2025, he was Notre Dame's leader in tackles for loss and ranked among the busiest linebackers in the country.
“Overall, Viliamu-Asa is a rare size-speed athlete who plays fast in space and fills the stat sheet with physical football, and a clean medical would leave the tape as the only question. He projects as a first-round linebacker who can start on all three downs early and give a coordinator real sub-package value. A full, healthy finish to 2026 would settle the biggest question.”
If Viliamu-Asa can show he can stay on the field, the Titans would have a player they could use to soften the blow of trading Simmons.
Round 1, Pick 28: T Jordan Seaton, LSU
After getting a defensive monster, the Titans shore up the other side of the ball. There’s a lot to like about Seaton, according to atozsports.com.
“You can tell that Seaton is a super athlete,” Tyler Forness wrote. “He’s explosive coming off the ball, and moves with malicious intent. That athleticism is also evident in pass protection, flashing a nice kickstep to get in front of rushers bending the arc. Defenders also struggle to attack him with power, as Seaton has a plus anchor, being able to dig in and hold up strong at the point of attack. He pairs that with strong hands and excellent grip strength to hold defenders at the point of attack.
“Seaton also flashes great balance, but he can get his weight too far forward, especially in the run game. That needs some consistency improvements, but there is hope he will get there. Lastly, hand placement needs some work, as he misses too often with his initial punch.”
This pick fits seamlessly with Asa. If both of these guys hit, the Titans would have a leg up on finally putting together a good season.
Round 2, Pick No. 34: DI AJ Holmes Sr.
Holmes may beat this draft spot. He has high draft pick potential, according to Pro Football Network.
“Holmes is lean, well-leveraged, and extremely explosive, with hyper-elite first-step explosion and gap-penetrating speed,” PFN wrote. “With his sheer propulsive athleticism, Holmes can surge through creases in run schemes and disrupt plays before they develop. And that same explosive element lends well to power generation in the pass-rush phase. Holmes logged a strong 11.3% pressure rate in 2025, and the high-end flashes are tantalizing on tape.
“Holmes can threaten blockers with raw power on bull-rushes, can stack rips and swims off power exertions, can levy chop and club combos working off euro-steps, and has the quickness to spin inside after off-setting. Meanwhile, in the run game, Holmes is a heady, hot-motor presence who's shown he can stack in isolation and split combo blocks with hip-drops, while limiting displacement.”
Combined with Viliamu-Asa, the Titans could transform their defense with two big-time players.
Round 3, Pick 66: DI Jayden Jackson, Oklahoma
There’s not a lot to like about the Titans getting Jackson in the third round. This is more of a reach pick, with Jackson targeted more as a fifth-round guy. But perhaps the Titans would like the idea of pairing him with Holmes?
Maybe Holmes can improve his draft stock in the final stages of the college football season, according to NFL Draft Buzz.
“The role and the polish are the holdups,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “He worked a rotation in the low 300s of snaps and missed a game to injury, so the body of work is smaller than the talent. The pass rush still wins on quickness rather than a sequenced plan. And the pass rush trails the run defense because the counters are not there yet when the first move gets handled.
“There is a quality rotational interior rusher here with starter upside if the snap count and the hand plan grow together. The floor is a sub-package penetrator who chips in stops and the occasional pressure. The ceiling is a three-down, three-technique.”
Round 4, Pick 104: C Iapani Laloulu, Oregon
Now this is more like it. Getting Laloulu at this point would be nice for the Titans. The numbers support him being a strong NFL Draft talent, according to Sports Illustrated.
“Laloulu's reliability in communicating throughout the trenches, his strength against the pass with a 2025 season total 760 pass-blocking snaps at a 79.9 PFF Pass Blocking Grade, power, and impressive balance and footwork make him a reliable front-man for eager NFL teams looking for their next leader,” Ally Osborne wrote.
For now, Laloulu said he’s focused on getting Oregon where it needs to go.
“Yeah, we talk about it every single day,” Laloulu said. “We preach it every single day. We got slides. We got like, the Big Ten Championship, Joe Moore, and then the Natty is what we say in the o-line room. So we, Coach Terry, just go down the line and we say Natty at the end. So, I think that's our main focus as a unit.”
Round 4, Pick 129: WR Yannick Smith, SMU
It’s hard to find good receiving production in the fourth round. And Smith probably isn’t an exception to the rule. He has limitations, according to NFL Draft Buzz.a
“He is still raw,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “His route running lacks polish, particularly on short and quick-breaking routes where he struggles to separate against tight coverage, and his hands have been unreliable, with four drops over the last two seasons.
“Smith is a developmental outside receiver with intriguing size and athleticism who would benefit from another year of college football.”
Round 5, Pick 141: DI Ezra Christensen, Colorado
It’s unlikely Christensen would last this long. He’s currently projected to go as early as the second round. But if he drops this far, the Titans would have a great haul of defensive interior players.
Christensen is a disruptive player, the exact thing the Titans miss now that Jeffery Simmons is no longer in the house. And the thing that sets him apart, and moves him up the draft board, is his consistent 60-minute effort.
The question mark, and what drops him on some boards, is his ability to stuff the run game.
Round 6, Pick 181: HB Turbo Richard, Indiana
The thing that sets Richard apart is his combination of speed and power. He currently leads the Hoosiers with 745 tards and has scored six touchdowns.
Richard said he has worked hard to get himself in the national spotlight, according to ESPN.
“I put a lot of time in the training room to make sure I could come back today, and it really paid off for me,” Richard said of returning to play against Rutgers and rushing for 204 yards. “Right now, me and (running back) Lee (Beebe) are holding it down.”
Richard is 5-foot-9 and 207 pounds. He’s not necessarily an NFL game-changer, but could provide serviceable work for the Titans.
Round 7, Pick 223: WR Ian Strong, California
Strong is actually projected as a sixth-round prospect, so this would be a decent grab for the Titans. But he has a drawback, according to NFL Draft Buzz.
“The limiter is speed,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “His timed number sits well below the position line. So he wins with positioning, strength, and reliable hands rather than by pulling away. And his yards after the catch stay modest because the separation is not there.
“He leans on contested wins, which raises the bar for the hands to stay dependable at the next level. His background as a former defensive back also hints at special-teams value that adds another route onto a roster.”