Every NFL team’s top position battle to watch during 2024 training camp

With the addition of veteran Sean Murphy-Bunting in free agency on a three-year deal, he is expected to be the top corner but that isn’t set. Murphy-Bunting, second-year pro Garrett Williams and rookies Max Melton and Elijah Jones are all battling for the top three roles. Williams played almost exclusively in the slot last season but could be an every-down player. And you can’t discount Starling Thomas, who was a starter down the stretch last season as a rookie and got lots of first-team reps in offseason workouts. 

Murphy-Bunting and Williams are expected to hold two of the three main rotational spots but exact roles and who ends up being the third guy and which two of the three will play on the boundary in base defenses will be determined in training camp and the preseason. – Jess Root, Cards Wire

A.J. Terrell is entering his fifth season as Atlanta’s undisputed No. 1 cornerback, but the team’s other starting outside CB spot is wide open with training camp set to open next week. The Falcons let Jeff Okudah leave in free agency and replaced him with veterans Kevin King and Antonio Hamilton. While both players have starting experience, don’t sleep on second-year cornerback Clark Phillips III to win the job opposite Terrell. Phillips, a fourth-round pick in 2023, played well once he started to get consistent playing time over the second half of the season. Head coach Raheem Morris cut his teeth as a defensive backs coach and will surely get the most out of this group in 2024.  – Matt Urben, Falcons Wire

The competition for snaps at nickel cornerback will be interesting because the NFL’s best young safety does most of his dominating as the slot cornerback in specific scenarios. The Ravens re-signed Arthur Maulet after his strong debut in Baltimore last season. But Kyle Hamilton played 465 snaps at slot corner last season, per Pro Football Focus. That’s more snaps than he logged at free safety (301) or strong safety (236). Damarion Williams, Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey, and Ar’Darius Washington could also see critical snaps in the slot. – Glenn Erby, Ravens Wire

After the latest offseason in Buffalo, this comes as no surprise. While the Bills did invest a second-round pick in Keon Coleman, it’s still wide open in the receiver room. Look no further than former first-round cornerback Kaiir Elam. Buffalo’s coaching staff will not justhand jobs over to players–they’ll need to earn it and Coleman will be no different. Other new faces signing with the Bills this offseason worth watching will be Curtis Samuel, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and even Chase Claypool, who flashed during minicamp. – Nick Wojton, Bills Wire

There seems to be absolutely no question as to how badly new head coach Dave Canales wants to establish the run. But which of his running backs will be heading that charge? Will it be Chuba Hubbard, who has finished as the team’s leading rusher in two of the last three seasons? Can Miles Sanders reemerge as a legitimate threat following a nightmare start to his four-year, $25.4 million pact? Or has the organization already shifted towards rookie Jonathon Brooks, the first running back taken in the 2024 NFL draft? – Anthony Rizzuti, Panthers Wire

The Bears are getting closer to solidifying their offensive line, which is made even more important this summer with No. 1 pick Caleb Williams stepping under center. The center position has been one that’s plagued the team for several years, and they still don’t have a resolution. Which is why Poles added two potential starters to compete for the job this summer in Ryan Bates (acquired via trade) and Coleman Shelton (signed in free agency). Shelton is the more experienced of the two, when it comes to snaps at center, as Bates has played primarily guard during his time with the Buffalo Bills. But both have gotten looks at center during the offseason program, rotating each week with the first-team offense. The battle is wide open at this point, and it will kick into high gear this summer. The goal is to have a starting offensive line in place several weeks before the regular season begins. So it’ll be interesting to see how quickly the coaching staff comes to a decision between Bates and Shelton. – Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire

There aren’t many starting spots up for grabs in Cincinnati this summer, with even vacancies that need to be filled going to committee approaches (Mike Gesicki and wideouts in the slot, Zack Moss and Chase Brown at running back). But the starting boundary corner job across from Cam Taylor-Britt is a flip of the coin between sophomore second-rounder DJ Turner and former first-rounder Dax Hill, who comes over from safety after a position change. Hill was bumped out of the safety spot after attempting to fill the Jessie Bates role last year and faces the biggest make-or-break year of anyone on the team. The loser of the battle will be the fourth corner at best, with Mike Hilton having the slot spot locked down. – Chris Roling, Bengals Wire

Nobody knows when Nick Chubb will be back. His rehab seems to be going well, but the Browns are remaining mum about any official timeline. Until he is back, the Browns need more than what they got a year ago. Jerome Ford will get the chance to rebound after an extremely inefficient season as the lead back a year ago. However, they did go out and sign D’Onta Foreman, who has been extremely productive when given a high volume of carries throughout his career. Right now, Ford will be given the benefit of the doubt, but do not sleep on Foreman to win over favor from running backs coach Duce Staley and the offensive staff. But who knows? Chubb could be starting Week 1 too!  – Cory Kinnan, Browns Wire

For a team with three-straight, 12-win seasons the Cowboys have a fair amount of training camp battles for high-level snaps. Dallas is going to have to sort out their running back rotation as well as who will give breathers to Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, but the most important training camp battle takes place in the pivot. The Cowboys let Tyler Biadasz walk in free agency and will have a competition between third-year man Brock Hoffman, second-year OL T.J. Bass, and third-round rookie Cooper Beebe. The Kansas State product was seen as a steal in this year’s haul, as several draftniks had him as a top-50 player. Biadasz saw starter’s snaps as a fourth-round rookie in 2020, but not to start the season. The importance of the position is obvious, giving this battle more leverage than the others. – K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire

The Broncos will have notable position battles at cornerback, inside linebacker and running back this summer, but the most important battle will obviously be at quarterback. After releasing Russell Wilson in March and taking on a historic cap hit, Denver will have veteran Jarrett Stidham, rookie Bo Nix and Zach Wilson battle for the QB1 job this summer. Wilson appeared to be QB3 in the spring, but he’ll get a chance to impress during training camp and preseason. Stidham has the advantage of being in his second year in Sean Payton’s offense. Nix has the benefit of being a high-profile first-round draft pick. If Stidham and Nix are close, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Broncos roll with Nix sooner than later. – Jon Heath, Broncos Wire 

One edge rusher position is carved in marble with budding superstar Aidan Hutchinson. The Lions have a few options for who starts at the DE/OLB position on the other side of the formation, however. The three players who primarily manned the role in 2023 (Charles Harris, Julian Okwara, Romeo Okwara) are all gone. That leaves a battle between Josh Paschal, John Cominsky and James Houston as holdovers who have played in that spot for Detroit recently. All offer something different and intriguing, but all have struggled with consistency and injuries, too. There are a couple of wild-card options as well, including Derrick Barnes moving to more of a pass-rushing role at linebacker. Then there’s free agent signee Marcus Davenport, a former first-rounder looking to stay healthy enough to revive his sagging career in a defensive scheme that’s tailor-made for his pass-rushing skills. – Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire

Who starts opposite Jaire Alexander at cornerback? 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes is healthy and confident after two injury-ravaged seasons and will get an opportunity to be a starter again, but 2023 seventh-rounder Carrington Valentine looked capable as a rookie starter and is returning for Year 2 after getting bigger and stronger this offseason. Both players look like solid fits in Jeff Hafley’s more aggressive, press-heavy coverage scheme. Where Stokes and Valentine were picked in the draft shouldn’t matter much here; the Packers want to let the best corner win. Expect both to get reps with the first-team defense throughout the summer. The opening test will be Eagles WRs A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith in Brazil come Week 1. – Zach Kruse, Packers Wire

When the Texans drafted Kamari Lassiter, everyone assumed he’d begin his career in the slot. A lot has changed since rookie minicamp, including Lassiter’s impact with the first-team unit. The second-round pick has a legitimate chance to line up opposite Derek Stingely Jr. after holding his own against Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs during OTAs. DeMeco Ryans is a believer in second chances, which is why Houston added former first-round picks Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson. Lassiter, however, is a younger option and just led the SEC in QB completion percentage when targeted at 38.5 percent. The former Georgia star should start regardless of position, but a strong August could force the Texans to look elsewhere inside. – Cole Thompson, Texans Wire

Take your pick: cornerback or safety. Either is a valid choice, but I’ll choose cornerback, given that it is a more premium position. After a 2023 season filled with inconsistent play, resulting in too many big plays given up and not enough plays on the football being made, many thought adding to the cornerback position was going to be a priority for the Colts this offseason. However, the fact that they didn’t tells us that internally the Colts are bullish about the group they have. Competing for this spot will be Jaylon Jones and Dallis Flowers. Jones is entering his second NFL season, while Flowers is healthy after suffering an Achilles injury early last season. Getting improved play from the cornerback position will go a long way in providing needed stability to the back end of the Colts’ defense. – Paul Bretl, Colts Wire

Jacksonville’s starting 22 isn’t too difficult to project despite the club’s active offseason, but how new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen’s scheme will impact alignment and various packages could lead to some interesting twists. This is especially true along the front and on the backend and could result in a lot of moving parts during training camp and the preseason.

Interior lineman Arik Armstead and edge rushers Joshua Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are certain to start, but in what personnel? Will the base front include one (Davon Hamilton) or two (Hamilton and Roy Robertson-Harris) interior players alongside Armstead? And how will second-round defensive tackle Maason Smith factor in?

In the secondary, Darnell Savage logged 69 starts at safety in five seasons with Green Bay but has been floated as a candidate to start at nickel cornerback. If that’s the case, Antonio Johnson will likely start at safety opposite Andre Cisco. If it isn’t and Savage aligns next to Cisco, the door opens for third-round rookie Jarrian Jones to start in the nickel. – Zach Goodall, Jaguars Wire

The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t need to target a tight end in the 2024 NFL draft, but chose to select TCU product Jared Wiley to bolster their depth at the position anyway. Though Travis Kelce is likely to remain the Chiefs’ starting tight end until he decides to retire, his backups have traditionally played an important role in Andy Reid’s offense. The addition of Irv Smith Jr. in free agency signaled that Kansas City was open to competition behind Kelce, and with 2021 fifth-round pick Noah Gray still on their payroll, the Chiefs are suddenly stacked at tight end. – John Dillon, Chiefs Wire

The Raiders are one of the few teams in the NFL that will actually have a quarterback battle entering training camp. The two players battling for the job are Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew, who was signed this offseason by way of the Indianapolis Colts. O’Connell is the favorite to win the job, but neither player impressed much during the summer. If the battle is close, expect O’Connell to be named the starter. But Minshew’s experience and escability could allow him to steal the job away as he is a more dynamic option. The Raiders don’t need a superstar at quarterback to be competitive, but they need a reliable option who can manage the offense. Whichever of the two quarterbacks that can accomplish that will be named the starter. – Marcus Mosher, Raiders Wire

For the most part, the Chargers have their starters in place. But one starting position that’s up in the air is the team’s nickel corner. That will be a battle between Ja’Sir Taylor and fifth-round pick Tarheeb Still. After flashing in his rookie season, Taylor’s play took a step back in 2023, eventually leading to getting benched midway through the season amid struggles in the secondary. Still, on the other hand, was a standout in the summer, deflecting multiple passes and picking off Justin Herbert once. – Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire

The safety position is very much up in the air for the Rams outside of Kamren Curl. He’ll be one starter, but it remains to be seen who will line up next to him and cover the deep half of the field. It’s not that the Rams are lacking options at that spot, either. Kamren Kinchens is a third-round rookie and certified ball hawk, John Johnson III was brought back as a free agent this offseason, Russ Yeast is entering his third NFL season and Jason Taylor II is also hoping to carve out a role for himself as a second-year defender. And then there’s the wild card in all of this, Quentin Lake. The Rams could keep Lake as their nickel corner, a position he played last year, or they could move him back to a more traditional safety role as he played at UCLA. Where the Rams choose to play him will have a ripple effect on the rest of the secondary because if he is a true safety, Derion Kendrick or Yeast could compete for the nickel spot. There’s a lot to sort out on the back end. – Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire

There’s a hodgepodge of defensive linemen who will be in competition for a few spots, but the more intriguing battle in training camp will be on the outside where several young pass rushers will vie for reps. The stakes are pretty high for Miami after Jaelan Phillips suffered an Achilles tear on Black Friday last season and Bradley Chubb tore his ACL on New Year’s Eve. It’s possible neither of the Dolphins’ two star edge rushers will be ready to contribute when the calendar turns to September. That leaves free agent addition Shaquil Barrett, draft picks Chop Robinson and Mohamed Kamara, and practice squad stalwart Cameron Goode with an opportunity to make an early impact in the 2024 regular season. If none of those four can find a way to stand out in camp and preseason, the Dolphins defense could struggle as it waits for Phillips and Chubb to get back to full strength. – Adam Stites, Dolphins Wire

There are a ton of questions surrounding this Minnesota Vikings roster but none bigger than the quarterback position. They brought in a bridge option with Sam Darnold during free agency but then added J.J. McCarthy to the mix with the tenth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The team has been vocal with the changes they are working with McCarthy on, such as his footwork, and there are other boxes he has to check to earn the starting role. As for Darnold, there are have been discussions that he can be the guy for the whole season. Something has to give during camp and all eyes will be on the two quarterbacks while we wait to see who blinks first in their showdown. – Andrew Harbaugh, Vikings Wire

There are multiple positional battles to keep an eye on when the Patriots kick-start training camp, but fans will be bringing their popcorn for the quarterback competition. The success of the team ultimately hinges on the development of rookie Drake Maye. Did the Patriots hit on a franchise quarterback with the No. 3 pick of the 2024 NFL draft, or did they miss big and set themselves back even further? 

Jacoby Brissett is better than the revolving door of Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe from last season. So unseating him as a starter won’t be an easy feat for the young gunslinger. The Patriots also seem willing to take their time with Maye instead of rushing him as a starter. With that said, he could blow them away right out of the gates and earn the starting job sooner than expected. This competition has a heavyweight fight feel in New England.  – Jordy McElroy, Patriots Wire

Pete Werner’s development stalled out last season as opposing offenses learned they could take advantage of him in coverage, so the Saints went out and signed Willie Gay Jr. to compete with him. This is going to be a heated battle with long-term implications. Both linebackers will be free agents in 2025, and Demario Davis isn’t getting any younger, so if one of them can step up they could become the face of the unit for years to come. But Gay must show he can handle a full-time role after the Chiefs allowed him to walk away in free agency this offseason. – John Sigler, Saints Wire

Second-year cornerback Deonte Banks is locked into the No. 1 role and won’t be contested, but CB2 is entirely up for grabs. Entering camp, Cor’Dale Flott will get the first crack at the starting job but he’s far from a lock. The Giants want to use rookie Andru Phillips inside, leaving Flott to battle Tre Hawkins, Darnay Holmes, the versatile Nick McCloud and the returning Aaron Robinson. A 2021 third-round pick, Robinson, who has missed the majority of his first three seasons due to injury, is the wildcard here. The new regime doesn’t know what they have in him but he’ll be given the opportunity to push Flott. Veteran Tre Herndon may also get a look, but the Giants view him as more of an inside guy. – Dan Benton, Giants Wire

On a team that is top-heavy and star-loaded, the Jets don’t have many intriguing personnel battles heading into training camp. But one area where there might be some competition is at tight end. Tyler Conklin is pretty well entrenched as the starting tight end but there should be a good summertime battle between Jeremy Ruckert and Kenny Yeboah. Ruckert took a nice step forward last year (16 catches for 151 yards) but Yeboah has the potential to get more reps this season, especially as he continues to work on his blocking. – Kristian Dyer, Jets Wire

Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis are the headliners for a young defensive tackle unit in 2024 after losing veteran legend Fletcher Cox to retirement in the offseason. Milton Williams is now the longest-tenured veteran of the defensive tackle group following the departure of Cox. Williams started in 10 games and played 494 snaps in 2023, gathering a career-high 42 tackles and seven quarterback hits.  The battle for the fourth defensive tackle spot will be something to watch. Marlon Tuipulotu will enter Year 4 after appearing in 14 games last season, finishing with 22 tackles (13 solo) and two sacks. Moro Ojomo played primarily on special teams a year ago but looks to crack the rotation heading into Year 2. Undrafted rookie free agent Gabe Hall provides length and size at 6-foot-6, 291 pounds. – Glenn Erby, Eagles Wire

All eyes will be on the battle between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields throughout training camp and the preseason. Wilson was signed to be the man and add some punch to the offense. But after signing Wilson, the Steelers traded for Fields which created a quarterback battle by default. Fields has made it clear he wants to start and we expect Pittsburgh to get his very best all camp long. The only question will be if the Steelers coaching staff gives Fields a chance or if they just hand the starting job to Wilson. – Curt Popejoy, Steelers Wire

The 49ers are largely set with their starting units, but there’s a pretty glaring hole in their secondary that still needs to be filled. Cornerback Charvarius Ward is coming off an All-Pro season and CB Deommodore Lenoir is coming off his best season as a pro. We can pencil them both in as starters, particularly since Lenoir has the versatility to play outside and in the slot. That all-important third CB spot is wide open though. Ambry Thomas has yet to carve out a regular role in three years, but he figures to be in the mix. Renardo Green was a second-round pick in this year’s draft and has enough upside to potentially start as a rookie. Veteran Rock Ya-Sin will be an option, as will veteran Isaac Yiadom who was very good for the Saints last season. Virtually all of those players will get opportunities to earn the role as the nickel corner, and whether one steps forward to grab a hold of that job will determine the ceiling for the 49ers’ defense this season. – Kyle Madson, Niners Wire

Last season, the Seahawks had Evan Brown as their primary starting center, and Brown allowed three sacks, three quarterback hits, and 21 quarterback hurries, per Pro Football Focus. Not great numbers for the man in the middle of the offensive line, and overall, Brown – who is now with the Arizona Cardinals – was more of a liability than a strength. Now under new head coach Mike Macdonald and new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, that position will obviously have a different look. Olusegun Oluwatimi, the 2023 fifth-round pick from Michigan, saw 128 snaps as a rookie, and his primary competition will be Nick Harris, the 2020 fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns, who played for new Seahawks offensive line coach Scott Huff at the University of Washington. Last season, the Huskies had Michael Penix Jr. throwing 117 passes of 20 or more air yards – far more than any other quarterback in college football – so whoever the new center is, he’ll need to hold the point long enough for Geno Smith to get those deep throws downfield.  – Doug Farrar, Touchdown Wire

We’re gonna cheat here, since the Bucs have way too many juicy camp battles on the horizon this year. There will be multiple competitions for starting jobs in the secondary, as the No. 2 cornerback spot on the outside is up for grabs, as is the slot/nickel position. Zyon McCollum feels like the front-runner to line up on the outside opposite Jamel Dean after the Bucs traded away Carlton Davis III, but veteran free agent Bryce Hall might have something to say about it. In the slot, Christian Izien was impressive last year after earning the job as a rookie undrafted free agent, but the Bucs just spent a third-round pick in this year’s draft on Georgia’s Tykee Smith, and he’s a perfect fit for that position in Todd Bowles’ defense. No matter who wins these battles, the Tampa Bay defense should be much improved by the competition at both spots. – Luke Easterling, Bucs Wire

The Titans have two position battles to keep an eye along the offensive line, with one at right guard and the other at right tackle. But considering Nicholas Petit-Frere is the favorite at right tackle and doesn’t exactly have daunting competition to beat out, we’re going right guard here. Daniel Brunskill was the starter last season and remains on the team, but Tennessee also has Dillon Radunz, who played well at right tackle in 2023 but is moving to guard, and Saahdiq Charles, who seemed to be getting plenty of first-team reps during the offseason program. Unlike right tackle, which at least has a favorite, right guard is completely up in the air. – Mike Moraitis, Titans Wire

We thought about going quarterback here, but everyone knows rookie Jayden Daniels will win the job. It’s a matter of when the Commanders officially announce him as the starting quarterback. Cornerback is the position to watch this summer. Emmanuel Forbes is entering his second NFL season and his rookie year was a disaster. Forbes should benefit from the coaching change. Benjamin St-Juste showed great promise in his second season, but took a big step back in 2023. He, too, should benefit from the new coaches. Rookie Mike Sainristil should win the slot cornerback job immediately. Veteran Michael Davis was signed and will likely compete with Forbes for one of the starting outside cornerback positions. There will be a lot of competition at cornerback and the entire group has a clean slate under new coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. – Bryan Manning, Commanders Wire