Cam Ward had the Tennessee Titans 7 yards from their first win of the season Sunday. Instead, his end-zone interception sealed a 12-7 loss to the New York Giants and put the Titans in a spot on the 2027 NFL draft board they know all too well.
If the draft were held today, Tennessee would pick third overall, according to Tankathon’s current draft order. The Titans are one of five 0-3 teams, and ties are broken by strength of schedule, with the easier slate picking first. Tampa Bay (.460) and Houston (.480) get the nod over Tennessee (.520), while the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins fall in behind.
How the Titans got to No. 3
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The Robert Saleh era opened with a 23-10 home loss to the New York Jets, who outgained Tennessee 367-195. The Titans’ only touchdown came in the closing minutes with the game already decided.
Week 2 was closer. Ward ran for two touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles, but Tennessee couldn’t hold on in a 24-20 loss.
Then came MetLife Stadium. The Titans managed one first down and 54 yards in the first half, rallied to make it 12-7 and got to first-and-goal before Ward threw into the arms of safety Jevon Holland with 17 seconds left.
“Last week we had the game in our hands and lost it from a defensive standpoint, this week from an offensive standpoint we couldn’t quite finish,” Saleh said after the game.
Two winnable games, zero wins. That’s how a team lands at No. 3.
What’s left on the Titans’ schedule
The road ahead isn’t brutal, at least on paper. Tennessee’s remaining opponents have a combined .500 winning percentage, tied for the 13th-toughest remaining schedule in the league.
All six AFC South games are still to come, including two against a Houston team that’s also winless and two against 1-2 Indianapolis. Jacksonville (2-1) is the stiffest division test. Outside the division, the Titans still face Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Detroit and 3-0 Las Vegas, all of whom have winning records. Dallas and Washington, both 1-2, round it out.
That matters for more than pride. Tennessee took Ward first overall in 2025 and drafted wide receiver Carnell Tate fourth overall in April. Tankathon’s latest mock sends Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore to the Titans at No. 3.
A third straight top-five pick isn’t what anyone in Nashville had in mind for Ward’s second season. Safe to say, the next four games against Baltimore, Houston, Indianapolis and Cleveland will show a lot about whether this slot sticks.
It doesn’t get any easier right away. The Titans visit the Baltimore Ravens at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.
