The Tennessee Titans trading All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears is a ground-shaking move ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline. Simmons is a game-wrecking force that the Bears defense sorely needed, while the Titans are clearly signaling that they don't believe that the rebuild in Tennessee is anywhere close to completed. But given that the Titans gained a 2027 and 2028 first-round pick in this trade, it's easy to look quickly toward the 2027 NFL Draft.

The Titans now join the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns as teams with multiple picks in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft, while there are also plenty of other teams desperate to get as many bites from the apple from this rich draft class. But what can Tennessee add with their newly acquired picks? Let's dive into how they and every other team can make the most of their picks in a reactive 2027 NFL Mock Draft with a full projection for the first round.

2027 NFL Mock Draft: First-round projection after Jeffery Simmons trade

Titans use Jeffery Simmons trade to help Cam Ward where he most needs it

The Titans made the age-old draft mistake last year by drafting a wide receiver, Carnell Tate, in the top five in order to help him in his development. They did this while, even with Simmons, the defense had numerous holes that still need to be plugged and while Dan Moore Jr. is a starting tackle trying to protect Ward. That's not exactly a recipe for success and, frankly, has rarely worked out for the team going in such a direction.

In the wake of the Simmons trade, though, the Titans need to do more taking their medicine, which sounds more derogatory than it is. That means replacing one Simmons with another at the top of the draft, selecting Colin Simmons out of Texas with the second overall pick. While he's currently dealing with injuries, he's the clear-cut best edge rusher in the class with speed-to-power, a terrific frame and a true pass rush plan already. He's going to come in and compete for double-digit sacks right away, and deliver Tennessee a force off the edge they haven't had in some time.

Then, with the pick acquired from the Bears in the pre-deadline trade, the Titans obviously knew that Chicago's success would mean they're picking at the end of the first round. However, with the depth of the 2027 draft class, that still allows them to take Utah tackle Zereoue Williams here. Williams has been rising up draft boards this season, stepping in for first-round picks Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu for the Utes after they were drafted last year, and dominating on the edge. He's an immediate replacement for turnstile Dan Moore Jr. at tackle, which will help give Tennessee a more legitimate look at Ward as a potential franchise guy.

NFL Mock Draft notes and analysis for Raiders, Cowboys, Vikings and more

Cardinals take the Arch Manning plunge

Arch Manning is no longer considered QB1 in the 2027 NFL Draft class, but he's closer to that level than people want to give him credit for. He's by no means been perfect this season at Texas, but he's put enough of his traits and his work in the more pro-style concepts of Steve Sarkisian's offense that will still have pro evaluators jumping to get him in the building.

In this mock draft, it's the Cardinals that roll the dice after Drew Mestemaker and Trinidad Chambliss were already off the board. With Trey McBride, Jeremiyah Love and Michael Wilson already in tow, Arizona needs an upgrade at quarterback. Pairing him with a solid cast on offense and an offensive-minded NFL mind like Mike LaFleur could be exactly what Manning needs to put all the tools together and fully run an offense that's conducive to his skill set (which, frankly, hasn't been the case with the Longhorns nearly enough).

Raiders get Fernando Mendoza a WR1 in Charlie Becker

The Raiders have cooled off from a hot start this season and are now on the heels of four straight losses. That's brought up the conversation of turning the keys over from Kirk Cousins to No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza sooner than later. However, the sneaky truth of the Las Vegas offense is that, while there are good bones to this group, there are shortcomings that are glaring as well. That's most evident when you look at the wide receiver room.

Getting Charlie Becker inserted into the mix would solve a lot of problems. Having the Indiana product, who is a terrific blend of size, speed and big-play ability, join Tre Tucker as outside receivers with Brock Bowers working in the slot ostensibly as a receiver would make so much sense, and give this Raiders offense some real bite whenever Mendoza is fully entrenched as the starter and the hopeful franchise quarterback for the Silver and Black.

Cowboys get much-needed defensive help in Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa

While the uncertain future of George Pickens raises some questions for the Cowboys offense that may need to be addressed, we all know that the defense is the real Achilles heel in Dallas. They've found some Band-Aids with Joey Porter Jr., which could prove huge whenever the secondary is back to full strength, but the middle of the defense still leaves a lot to be desired. There are flashes from DeMarvion Overshown and Jaishawn Barham, but until we see more consistency, linebacker is a blatant need for this defense.

That's where Notre Dame linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa can come into play here. He's a veteran in the Fighting Irish defense and someone who stands out as a clear leader in the front seven. He has the tools to play sideline to sideline and be a force that the Cowboys simply don't have. While he is capable crashing downhill, improvements could be made there, but he fits more of what Dallas needs to make the totality of this defense work more smoothly moving forward.

Vikings upgrade at running back with Jadan Baugh (for now)

The Vikings are tricky in mock drafts right now with the trade deadline looming for them as well. There's a clear and obvious need at running back (and perhaps at quarterback as well) that they need to address to not waste what appears to be an all-world defense being put forth by coordinator Brian Flores. They're a candidate to trade for a Jonathan Taylor or a Saquon Barkley, but until that happens, we'll have them addressing running back in the draft.

Of course, the only logical pick in that regard is Florida running back Jadan Baugh. He's everything you want in a running back with elite vision and elusiveness that gives him the ability to force missed tackles, while he's also able to bounce off would-be tacklers as well given his elite contact balance. He's not a burner in the purest sense, but Baugh does have plenty of speed and juice that make him a big-play threat. Behind this Vikings offensive line, he could be an immediate workhorse to take the offense to new heights.