Training camp battles to watch for all 32 teams: QB1 jobs up for grabs

NFL training camp is off and running, and the 2024 season is right around the corner. While observing about two weeks of practices, our NFL Nation reporters have been logging their observations daily.

One of the biggest storylines throughout every camp is that players are battling for positions on the depth chart. Players spend camp making their cases to be included on the final 53-man rosters at the end of August. Just making it isn’t enough, though. Coaches are seeking clarity on who starts and who will provide backup. For example, the Dolphins are looking to secure their third receiving option behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, while the Vikings, Broncos, Raiders and Steelers are still trying to decide which quarterback will start Week 1.

Here are 32 of the biggest position battles going on at camps across the NFL.

Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

AFC EAST

Safety

The competition at safety to go pair with likely starter Taylor Rapp can go in so many ways, and the task of replacing seven-year starters Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer is not an easy one. Hyde is contemplating retirement but hasn’t ruled out a return, however. As for the candidates on the roster, injuries have played a part early.

Damar Hamlin, veteran Mike Edwards and rookie Cole Bishop were early contenders, but Edwards is now week-to-week with a hamstring injury and Bishop is also week-to-week with a shoulder injury, leading the team to bring in Kareem Jackson and Terrell Burgess for veteran depth. Considering the importance the Bills place on the safety positions, the openness of this battle and number of injuries already makes it significant to monitor. — Alaina Getzenberg

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Third receiving option

Miami signed wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason to be its third wide receiver but he is yet to practice as he works through a preexisting injury. When healthy, he should be the third option in the passing game — but he is not the only candidate. Tight end Jonnu Smith is coming off a career year in 2023 with the Falcons, while running back De’Von Achane has notably worked on his receiving game throughout the offseason.

The Dolphins also drafted Malik Washington and still have Braxton Berrios and River Cracraft. Some of these names are more likely than others to be the third option behind Hill and Waddle, but it’s an open competition for as long as it takes Beckham to return to the field. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

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Wide receiver

The Patriots might not have a clear-cut No. 1 option, but there is no shortage of volume. Rookies Ja’Lynn Polk (second round) and Javon Baker (fourth round) are locks, and it would be a surprise if DeMario “Pop” Douglas isn’t the top slot option after totaling a team-high 561 receiving yards last season. So that leaves Kendrick Bourne (when healthy/likely on the roster), K.J. Osborn (likely on the roster), Tyquan Thornton, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jalen Reagor among those likely vying for a maximum of three spots. — Mike Reiss

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No. 2 receiving option

Garrett Wilson is the clear-cut WR1. After him, there are questions galore. Right now, Allen Lazard is starting on the opposite side, but he’s viewed as a placeholder until Mike Williams is activated from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Lazard, who received a four-year, $44 million contract in 2023, is off to a promising start in camp after a 23-catch season. He also has Aaron Rodgers‘ stamp of approval (they were teammates in Green Bay), which never hurts. But let’s be realistic: He’s not on the same level as Williams. The question with Williams is, can he be the same player he was before ACL surgery last fall? Rodgers needs a viable No. 2 option to balance the field. — Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

Right guard

The Ravens are replacing three starters on the offensive line, but it looks like Andrew Vorhees is the heavy favorite to win the left guard job and the hope is second-round pick Roger Rosengarten will take the spot at right tackle. The biggest battle remains at right guard, where Daniel Faalele, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Ben Cleveland are contenders.

Faalele, a 6-foot-8, 380-pound lineman, seems like he has the early edge. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said the best-case scenario is to have the starting offensive line set by the preseason opener. “If you go into that first week with a good idea, and the game confirms everything, then you’d feel great, and you’re in a good spot,” Harbaugh said. — Jamison Hensley

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Running back

The Bengals have a few camp battles ongoing (WR3, CB2, RT1), but the most important to watch would be between Chase Brown and Zack Moss. Brown and Moss are vying to get the bulk of Joe Mixon‘s vacated workload. Brown has looked explosive at times in practice while Moss gives the Bengals true four-down availability, something Mixon lacked in seven seasons with Cincinnati. The Bengals need a more explosive run game after finishing 17th in the league last season in running back carries of 10 or more yards (34), per ESPN Stats & Info. — Ben Baby

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Wide receiver

The Browns have a clear No. 1 wide receiver in Amari Cooper. Jerry Jeudy will also be a big part of the offense after the team traded for him and gave him an extension in the offseason. Cleveland, though, has a rather unproven receiver room behind Cooper. The group of wideouts vying for more prominent roles includes Elijah Moore, who produced a career-best season in 2023, and second-year player Cedric Tillman, who was a standout in offseason workouts. There should be plenty of opportunities in an offense expected to use more three- and four-wide receiver sets in 2024. — Daniel Oyefusi

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Quarterback

Though Russell Wilson entered training camp in “pole position” and it appeared the starting job would be his job to lose, Wilson’s conditioning test calf injury makes things interesting for the Steelers. With Wilson slowly ramping up, Justin Fields has taken nearly all of the first-team reps, and his best practice came in the team’s first padded practice Tuesday where he completed every pass attempt. Not only did he connect with George Pickens on a one-handed touchdown grab, but he also showed off his wheels in a couple of designed runs. Wilson is still likely in the lead for the job, but if Fields can make routine — and splash — plays consistently, this might be more of a competition than it initially appeared. — Brooke Pryor

AFC SOUTH

Defensive tackle

Folorunso Fatukasi, Tim Settle Jr., Kurt Hinish, Khalil Davis and Mario Edwards Jr. are battling for starting time at defensive tackle. So far Fatukasi and Edwards have run with the first-team defense the most. Defensive end Denico Autry, whom they paid a two-year, $20 million contract, was a candidate but was suspended for six games for violating the NFL’s policy against performance-enhancing drugs. Autry could be in the rotation once he returns. It’s been a wide-open battle throughout camp, and Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said, “It is going to be a pretty good competition to see how that plays out.” — DJ Bien-Aime

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Free safety

There suddenly appears to be a position battle here, with the Colts now deploying Ronnie Harrison Jr. as a safety after converting him to a linebacker last season. Nick Cross — a third-year player who emerged as the starter at the end of last season but was inconsistent — is also vying for the job. The depth of the Colts’ secondary has been under scrutiny all offseason, and the unsettled status of this position only adds to the questions. It was unclear whether Harrison would even play safety this season after spending much of last season at linebacker.

What’s more, Harrison had spent most of his career as a strong safety prior to joining the Colts last year, bringing into question his ability to man the middle of the field as a deep, single-high safety in the Colts’ scheme. Can either Harrison or Cross lock the job down, or will the Colts consider outside help? — Stephen Holder

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Secondary

The only definite starter is CB Tyson Campbell. New coordinator Ryan Nielsen and defensive backs coach Kris Richard are giving guys reps at multiple spots. Rookies Jarrian Jones and De’Antre Prince and veteran Ronald Darby have lined up at outside corner and in the slot, for example, while safeties Antonio Johnson, Andrew Wingard, Andre Cisco and Darnell Savage, have rotated as well. Johnson and Savage have gotten reps at nickel, too. Nielsen said at this point in the preseason there’s no depth chart and they’re going to continue to experiment with different lineups until late August. — Michael DiRocco

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Right tackle

The Titans haven’t declared a starter at right tackle yet. Coach Brian Callahan said the competition could go through the length of training camp without a starter being announced until the opening game. “Everybody has gotten some exposure on that side,” offensive line coach Bill Callahan said. “We’re mixing and matching. The big thing is consistency, are they progressing from a physical aspect and then technique.”

The primary competition so far is between John Ojukwu and Jaelyn Duncan. Third-year veteran Nicholas Petit-Frere will also be a factor now that he was activated off the PUP list Friday. Tennessee allowed 64 sacks last season, tied for the third most in the NFL. — Turron Davenport

AFC WEST

Quarterback

Rinse and repeat. As has been the case so often during the Broncos’ eight-year playoff drought, the search for a starter and long-term solution at quarterback is on. Rookie Bo Nix, the 12th pick of April’s draft, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson split the work evenly with the starters through the first week of training camp, as they did in the offseason program. But as the second week of training camp opened, it was Nix and Stidham who were alternating work with the starters.

Coach Sean Payton has said he has no formal timetable to pick the winner, other than before the Sept. 8 opener in Seattle, but he has said when he sees one of the three step forward, he’ll make the call. Since the start of the 2016 season the Broncos have had 12 different quarterbacks start a game — 13 players overall if you count the game running back Phillip Lindsay opened under center during the COVID-19 pandemic. — Jeff Legwold

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Left tackle

Wanya Morris returned to practice on Sunday after leaving early from the Chiefs’ previous session, but his presence didn’t alter the dynamics of his battle with rookie Kingsley Suamataia to be the starting left tackle. Suamataia, as he has for most of training camp, got all of the starters’ reps while Morris was working with the second team. Morris had also spent some time working at guard during previous practices.

“He’s working hard, No. 1, on the things that we’re trying to teach him,” coach Andy Reid said of Suamataia, a second-round draft pick. “There are a lot of new things that he’s learning and he’s playing aggressively and getting better every day. He’s not taking steps back, which is important.”

Suamataia is working only at left tackle, and Reid said the Chiefs have no plans to look at him at other positions. — Adam Teicher

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Quarterback

The QB battle between second-year returner Aidan O’Connell and vagabond veteran Gardner Minshew entered its second week of training camp as “status quo,” per Raiders coach Antonio Pierce. And that’s not necessarily a good thing. Neither player distinguished himself in the Raiders’ first padded practice, with both QBs hanging WR Davante Adams out to dry on poorly placed balls. Ouch. And while Pierce said at the start of camp he has no timeline on naming a starter, he later acknowledged, “Somebody has to just separate from the other.” O’Connell probably leads by a hair. — Paul Gutierrez

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Wide receiver

Fifty-seven percent of QB Justin Herbert‘s career completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns went to now-former Chargers Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler and Gerald Everett. The replacements for some of Herbert’s favorite targets are a mix of unproven and inexperienced players. Only one Chargers receiver has eclipsed 1,000 yards in a season, DJ Chark Jr. in 2019. Joshua Palmer appears in position to be the No. 1 target, but after that it appears to be an open competition between Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey and Chark. — Kris Rhim

NFC EAST

Center

The pads have only just come on for the Cowboys at training camp, but it seems pretty clear that this is Brock Hoffman‘s job to lose. He took all of the snaps with the first team in the spring and continues to do so in training camp. Zack Martin said Hoffman is a “natural leader,” which is a must at the center spot, despite his lack of experience. Third-round pick Cooper Beebe will get a chance to show what he can do in the preseason games but he is still getting accustomed to a new spot so much so that he works on his snaps in 7-on-7 work. — Todd Archer

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Tight end

With Darren Waller retired, the Giants are looking to fill the void primarily with some combination of Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager and rookie Theo Johnson. Bellinger is likely to be the starter, but who will fill pass catcher: Cager or Johnson? Cager started camp strong and coach Brian Daboll pegged him as one of the standouts of the spring, but he is now dealing with a hamstring injury. Johnson returned after starting camp on PUP with a hip problem. It’s anyone’s job to win this summer. — Jordan Raanan

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Cornerback

The starting spot opposite Darius Slay Jr. is up for grabs. Former Colt Isaiah Rodgers and up-and-comer Kelee Ringo have split time with the first team during training camp, each making strong cases for why they should get the nod. Rookie first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell, meanwhile, is seeing more and more snaps at the starting nickel post. He’s been sticky in coverage and appears to be handling the transition from the MAC to the pros well.

Mitchell is competing with veteran Avonte Maddox for the slot job. Overall, a defensive backfield that finished second-to-last in passing yards and passing touchdowns allowed in 2023 looks deeper and speedier than a year ago. — Tim McManus

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Left tackle

Washington has rotated veteran Cornelius Lucas and rookie Brandon Coleman with the starting offensive line at left tackle. It’s the one spot along the line most up for grabs. Both also have worked at right side as well. Washington drafted Coleman in the third round — he played both tackle and guard at TCU. Lucas has started 47 games during his first 10 seasons, serving primarily as a swing tackle. Coleman has impressed early with his footwork and balance. If Coleman wins the job, Washington might have solved a premium position for a few years. The Commanders would then have two expensive positions — with quarterback Jayden Daniels — filled by players on rookie deals. — John Keim

NFC NORTH

Center

To start out camp, the Bears rotated between Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton at center with the first-team offensive line. Shelton signed with Chicago after starting the past two seasons at center for the Rams, where he logged 1,113 snaps in 2023. Bates, who was traded to the Bears from Buffalo in March, had much fewer game reps at center (a career-high 135 in 2022) and was thought to have the inside track until this competition hit its stride during the first week of camp. “We’ve got two different body types. We’ve got one quick guy and one really strong guy,” defensive tackle Andrew Billings said. “That competition is going to come down to consistency.”

An injury to right guard Nate Davis has forced this competition to stall with Bates sliding over to his right and Shelton as Caleb Williams‘ starting center. It sounds like the rotation will pick back up when Davis returns from the strain he sustained on July 27, but his absence has a direct impact on how this competition could play out. — Courtney Cronin

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Cornerback

For the first five consecutive practices to start training camp, the defense didn’t come away with an interception during the team period before rookie CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. broke the streak on July 30. This defensive competition has inspired the other CBs to elevate their game. “I got to go get one now,” rookie CB Terrion Arnold said after Rakestraw’s first pick. In 2023, the secondary was arguably Detroit’s biggest weakness despite the run to the NFC Championship Game. The defense allowed 7.8 yards per pass attempt, which was the second most in the league.

Now, players such as Arnold, Carlton Davis III, Amik Robertson, Rakestraw, Kindle Vildor and Emmanuel Moseley are clawing for key spots to strengthen this unit and the competition has been fierce, which the front office anticipated when it added these players in the offseason. — Eric Woodyard

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Kicker

There were actually three kickers in camp until rookie James Turner was cut last Tuesday, leaving veteran Greg Joseph to battle incumbent Anders Carlson. The Packers wanted competition after Carlson, a sixth-round pick last year, struggled at the end of his rookie season (including a missed 41-yard field goal late in the NFC divisional playoff loss to the 49ers). It’s been a close competition, but Joseph has a slight advantage through 10 practices based solely on the numbers.

Kicking from similar distances throughout camp, Joseph has made 36 of 40 field goals, while Carlson was 33-of-40. In perhaps the most important test so far, though, Carlson was 8-of-9 in Saturday’s practice in front of more than 60,000 at Lambeau Field, while Joseph missed twice. Carlson’s only miss was from 57 yards. Joseph missed from 54 and 57. When asked whether the competition would extend throughout the preseason, coach Matt LaFleur said, “I would anticipate that, but things change.” — Rob Demovsky

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Quarterback

In the big picture, there is only one position battle that matters for the Vikings this summer: Will rookie J.J. McCarthy make a serious run at the starting quarterback job that otherwise seems destined to be filled by veteran Sam Darnold? Here’s the best we can say at this point: The competition hasn’t started yet. Darnold took all of the first-team reps during the first week of camp, while McCarthy got his snaps with the second team.

Coach Kevin O’Connell said the team will eventually get to a “sweet spot” in its schematic install, one that will give McCarthy first-team opportunities. But Darnold opened training camp as the clear No. 1 quarterback, and nothing happened in the early portion of camp to suggest that a change was in the cards. “I think both guys have done a lot of really, really good things, [with] some more notable visually than others,” O’Connell said. “But I also think both guys have made some mistakes with the football.” — Kevin Seifert

NFC SOUTH

Safety

In 2023, Falcons safety Richie Grant essentially lost his starting job to DeMarcco Hellams during the season. Both men have returned to Atlanta and the competition is ongoing — with Grant the leader at this point in training camp. New coach Raheem Morris has been effusive with his praise of Grant and his preparation and attention to detail. Grant made a nice play to stop a touchdown pass from Michael Penix Jr. to John FitzPatrick at a practice Saturday night, with a dance celebration to follow it up. The winner of the battle will get to start alongside elite safety Jessie Bates III. — Marc Raimondi

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Right outside linebacker

Left OLB is set with veteran Jadeveon Clowney, but injuries and inexperience leave the right side a mystery. D.J. Wonnum was signed in free agency to fill that spot, but he’s still recovering from a partially torn quad with no timetable to return. DJ Johnson, coming off a disappointing rookie season after being a third-round pick, has shown flashes. K’Lavon Chaisson, also signed in free agency, remains a work in progress player. Amare Barno (knee) began camp on IR. This arguably is the biggest hole on the team with no clear solution. — David Newton

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Wide receiver

Backup quarterback is an intriguing battle but also one that has been talked about a lot. The back end of the receiving group is an underrated battle. Mason Tipton, an undrafted rookie free agent from Yale, has been making a splash every day, while Dennis Allen said he’s waiting for 2023 sixth-round pick A.T. Perry to catch his eye in camp. Tipton has suddenly played his way into a potential spot on the roster if he continues to play like he has in the first week. — Katherine Terrell

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Nickelback

With Ben Bredeson now virtually a lock at the left guard position with Sua Opeta‘s ACL injury, the focus shifts to the starting nickelback competition. Third-round draft pick Tykee Smith has been lining up with the first-team defense and by all accounts should be the starter. But Tavierre Thomas has had three interceptions in six practices and they still have Christian Izien, the starter from last season. — Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

Edge rusher

The Cardinals had started to figure out their plans at outside linebacker over the past couple of weeks, but those plans went up in smoke when BJ Ojulari was lost for the season with an ACL injury. Now Arizona is, in some ways, going back to the drawing board. They still have a bit of depth at outside linebacker, with seven healthy ‘backers listed on the roster. Zaven Collins, who moved to outside linebacker, appears to have one side locked up, but the other edge rusher spot is up for grabs again. Dennis Gardeck, who started eight games and was one of four players to start last season opposite Collins, has reoccupied the first-team spot for now, but that job is anyone’s to win. — Josh Weinfuss

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Running back

There aren’t many position battles, which may be surprising for a team that brought in nearly 40 rookies to training camp a year ago. But one position worth watching is running back, after the Rams used a third-round pick on Blake Corum. Yes, Williams is the clear RB1 in Los Angeles, but Corum has the chance during training camp to show he is capable of taking on a significant workload. Williams averaged almost 22 touches per game and missed time during the offseason program while dealing with a foot injury.

After the first training camp practice, Sean McVay said the Rams need “to be smart” about the number of touches Williams is getting during the regular season so that he can stay healthy for the entire campaign. But make no mistake, McVay was noticeably excited after a few of Williams runs that day. He told reporters after, “I said [to Williams] on a couple of runs, ‘Man, did I miss you in the offseason.'” — Sarah Barshop

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Third cornerback

One way or another, the Niners’ top two corners — Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir — are set. The question is how things will be configured when they go into nickel packages. Veteran Isaac Yiadom staked an early lead in the offseason program as he can step in outside with Lenoir bumping into the slot in nickel situations. But second-round rookie Renardo Green is also working in the slot, and the Niners wouldn’t mind being able to keep Lenoir outside full time. San Francisco was in nickel for 834 defensive snaps in 2023, fifth most in the league, which means whoever wins the third corner spot is essentially a starter. — Nick Wagoner

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Right guard

It appears to be the only full-time starting spot still up for grabs at Seahawks camp. As of now, the battle is between Anthony Bradford — who made 10 starts there as a rookie last season — and third-round pick Christian Haynes. McClendon Curtis took the No. 1 reps at right guard during the spring while Bradford was dealing with an ankle injury; he’s since moved to right tackle to solidify the depth there with Abraham Lucas still out.

The Seahawks could end up signing free agent Connor Williams, but they view him as a center. Seattle’s offensive line badly underperformed in 2023 — one of the biggest reasons for Geno Smith‘s up-and-down play — and needs one of its young players such as Bradford or Haynes to pop in 2024. — Brady Henderson