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Andre Szmyt's Kick With 3 Seconds Left Kept the Titans at No. 2 in the 2027 Draft Order
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- Andre Szmyt's Kick With 3 Seconds Left Kept the Titans at No. 2 in the 2027 Draft Order
Tennessee Titans fans heading out of Nissan Stadium on Sunday had watched Tony Pollard run for three touchdowns and still lose. Andre Szmyt's 32-yard field goal with three seconds left gave Cleveland a 27-24 win, dropped the Titans to 1-6 and kept them at No. 2 in the updated first-round order heading into Week 8.
Only the winless Chargers are ahead of them. Two weeks ago, the Titans were 0-5 and sat at No. 1 .
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How the Titans got to No. 2
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) is stopped short of a touchdown during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026.DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Tennessee lost its first five games by an average of 10.2 points, a stretch that bottomed out with a 26-3 home loss to Houston. The 26-20 win in Indianapolis ended that run and gave Robert Saleh's team its first win of the season, but it also cost the Titans the top spot in the order.
Pollard carried the offense Sunday. He scored from 36, 10 and 1 yard out and earned an 84.3 grade, according to PFF, and Cam Ward posted an 80.7 grade while completing 20 of 31 passes for 181 yards and an interception. The defense couldn't hold a 24-24 tie after Pollard's final touchdown with 1:01 left. Cleveland ran for 183 yards and piled up 491 total. Cor'Dale Flott allowed no catches on two targets and picked off a pass, and Jermaine Johnson added five pressures. Safety Kevin Winston Jr. led the team with 13 tackles but was charged with three misses.
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By current records, Tennessee's 10 remaining opponents are a combined 32-32-1 (.500). The slate includes two games against the 4-2 Jaguars and road trips to Cincinnati and Detroit, but also Washington (1-4-1) and rematches with Indianapolis and Houston (both 2-5).
Johnson has drawn interest from contenders ahead of the trade deadline , and Jeffery Simmons' 2027 guarantee won't scare off buyers . Selling either one would cost the Titans wins and help their draft position.
Luke Easterling's latest first-round mock draft had Tennessee at No. 3 and sent Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore to Nashville. Easterling believes Saleh needs more blue-chip talent on defense and sees Moore as a shutdown corner with the size, smarts and competitiveness to erase a team's best receiver. He has ranked Moore as the best non-receiver in the class , behind only Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who went No. 1 to the Chargers in that mock.
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With Carnell Tate already setting a Titans-era rookie receiving record , a premium defensive pick would fill the side of the ball that gave away Sunday's game.
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This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
