As summer picks up, the season of OTAs and NFL training camps are drawing near. With that comes the heated anticipation of positional battles, determining which players will win competitions for the starting spots up for grabs.
Which players will win each positional battle? Join us as we take a look at every NFL team’s biggest competition heading into 2026.
Arizona Cardinals: Quarterback
The first entry on this list comes with a caveat. If Jacoby Brissett is playing, he’ll likely be the Arizona Cardinals’ starting quarterback to begin the season. That said, Brissett is holding out for a restructured contract that would give him a pay raise. If that doesn’t come to fruition, Gardner Minshew and Carson Beck will be battling for opportunities with the first-team offense.
Atlanta Falcons: Quarterback
New head coach Kevin Stefanski is no stranger to quarterback battles from his time in Cleveland, and he finds himself with another one on his hands with the Atlanta Falcons. Though Michael Penix Jr. is entering his third year in the NFL as a former first-round pick, Tua Tagovailoa is the most experienced, and arguably better passer at this stage.
Baltimore Ravens: Edge Rusher
With Trey Hendrickson on one side, the Baltimore Ravens have one of their starting edge rusher spots set in stone. The other position remains up for grabs, as they’ve used second-round picks at the position in consecutive years on Mike Green and Zion Young. Don’t sleep on Tavius Robinson either, as he led all Ravens edge rushers with a 76.8 PFSN EDGE Impact Score last year.
Buffalo Bills: Left Guard
With the departure of David Edwards in free agency, the Buffalo Bills have a pretty big gap at left guard that remains wide open. The current favorite is Alec Anderson, who’s started in six games across his two seasons in Buffalo. That said, Austin Corbett is the more experienced starter, with 78 starts over his eight NFL seasons.
Carolina Panthers: Left Tackle
Ikem Ekwonu has held down the left tackle spot for the Carolina Panthers since they drafted him in Round 1 in 2022. But is there an outside chance they move him to guard? They signed former Packers starter Rasheed Walker in free agency and took Monroe Freeling in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft. That’s a lot of investment at tackle for both guys to sit on the bench.
Chicago Bears: Center
With the sudden retirement of Drew Dalman in this offseason, the Chicago Bears pivoted to trade for Garrett Bradbury before free agency started. He’s been a serviceable starter across his NFL career, but the Bears also took Logan Jones in the second round of the draft. Both players project well in starting roles, so the competition will no doubt be exciting to watch.
Cincinnati Bengals: Edge Rusher
The struggles the Cincinnati Bengals have faced on defense in recent years are well-documented. The hope is that their investments in the defense this offseason will change that. Though they lost Trey Hendrickson in free agency, they signed Boye Mafe and drafted Cashius Howell in the second round to replace him off the edge. Those two will compete with the Bengals’ 2023 and 2025 first-round picks, Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart, respectively.
Cleveland Browns: Quarterback
Though the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback battle might not have a long-term answer in the bunch, it might be the NFL’s most unpredictable battle. Shedeur Sanders is coming off an inconsistent rookie year, though the Browns have since invested heavily in their wide receivers and offensive line. Will he be able to edge out Deshaun Watson coming off an injury that saw him miss all of 2025? Only time will tell.
Dallas Cowboys: Cornerback
The Trevon Diggs era is no longer, prompting the Dallas Cowboys to go elsewhere at cornerback. They signed Cobie Durant in free agency, but he’ll still have youngsters like Shavon Revel and Devin Moore to battle it out with. Theres no guarantee DaRon Bland sticks around as a starter for the full year at his current rate of productivity, either.
Denver Broncos: Cornerback
The Denver Broncos drafted Jahdae Barron in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he played a little bit in both the slot and outside as a rotational backup. Riley Moss is the incumbent perimeter starter alongside Patrick Surtain II, but the time could come for Barron to take over as a higher-upside option, even if he might be better suited at nickel.
Detroit Lions: Nickelback
The Detroit Lions’ starting nickel cornerback spot figures to come down to two contenders: Roger McCreary and Rock Ya-Sin. Though both are experienced NFL starters at this stage of their careers, there are some youngsters worth keeping in the mix. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. was a second-round pick just two years ago, and fifth-round rookie Keith Abney II offers inside-outside versatility.
Green Bay Packers: Cornerback
The Green Bay Packers return both of their starting perimeter cornerbacks in Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine. They’ve made some intriguing additions this offseason in the form of Benjamin St-Juste and second-round pick Brandon Cisse, though. The incumbent starters figure to have the upper hand going into OTAs, but it’s not like the Packers’ cornerback tandem was phenomenal in 2025.
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Houston Texans: Wide Receiver
With Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins taking the charge along the perimeter, the Houston Texans have an open competition for their WR3 spot, primarily for someone with more slot versatility. Tank Dell showed plenty of promise early in his NFL career, but he has a lot to prove coming off a serious injury. Jaylin Noel and sixth-round rookie Lewis Bond figure to be his top competition in that regard, though the likes of Xavier Hutchinson and Justin Watson will also push for playing time in Houston.
Indianapolis Colts: Linebacker
With the departure of Zaire Franklin, the Indianapolis Colts have plenty of playing time up for grabs at linebacker going into 2026. Second-round rookie CJ Allen feels like a safe bet for a starting job, but the competition between free agent signing Akeem Davis-Gaither and fourth-round pick Bryce Boettcher will be worth monitoring in the Colts’ camp.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Left and Right Guard
As of this writing, Ezra Cleveland and Patrick Mekari are the projected starting guards for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Neither performed well enough to guarantee a starting role in 2026, however. In their widely criticized draft class, the one early pick that garnered praise was third-round guard Emmanuel Pregnon, who carries starting experience from Wyoming, USC, and Oregon.
Kansas City Chiefs: Nickelback
The Kansas City Chiefs’ cornerback room looks night and day compared to last season, though it remains to be seen if that’s a good thing. In the nickel, Kader Kohou is an experienced slot starter, but rookie Jadon Canady offers intriguing upside as a versatile defender with some more potential to tap into as a younger player.
Las Vegas Raiders: Quarterback
There’s no denying that the Las Vegas Raiders are Fernando Mendoza’s team going forward. That said, the No. 1 overall pick will have to battle for immediate playing time with Kirk Cousins. Cousins’ vast playing career makes him a valuable mentor, but in the short term, he’ll also be out to prove that he still has a lot in the tank.
Los Angeles Chargers: Tight End
The Los Angeles Chargers also have a pretty crowded wide receiver room, but it’s their tight end room that could catch the most attention going into camp. Oronde Gadsden II is coming off a breakout rookie year, but the Chargers also signed both Charlie Kolar and David Njoku in free agency. Those two will surely push for snaps, though it’s likely we’ll see plenty of multiple tight end sets in Los Angeles this year.
Los Angeles Rams: Tight End
Speaking of multiple tight end sets in Los Angeles, the Rams led the NFL in 13 personnel usage in 2025. Expect that to continue in 2026, as they retain all of Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, and Terrance Ferguson from last year. To make matters more complicated, they drafted Max Klare in the second round, bringing another talented tight end into a logjam.
Miami Dolphins: Right Guard
The Miami Dolphins selected Jonah Savaiinaea in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft with hopes that he would be able to slide in as a pro-ready guard. After finishing with the fourth-worst PFSN OL Impact Score in the NFL last year, the leash has to tighten. Sixth-round rookie D.J. Campbell has an outside chance to win the job if the physicality he showed at Texas translates well in camp.
Minnesota Vikings: Quarterback
The general expectation is that the Minnesota Vikings’ signing Kyler Murray indicates he will start over J.J. McCarthy in 2026. While Murray should be the favorite after McCarthy’s disappointing 2025 campaign, the latter could get the upper hand as their designated “franchise QB” if he takes a leap in training camp.
New England Patriots: Wide Receiver
Even if the New England Patriots make the expected move and trade for A.J. Brown, they’ll still have an interesting competition for playing time at wide receiver. As of this writing, their current projected starters are Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, and Romeo Doubs. That said, last year’s third-rounder, Kyle Williams, still has plenty of potential, and DeMario Douglas is a twitchier option than any of those receivers.
New Orleans Saints: Nickelback
Julian Blackmon is the anticipated starting nickel cornerback for the New Orleans Saints, but he’ll face some competition for time in the slot with players like Quincy Riley and Beanie Bishop. Safeties shouldn’t be ruled out, either. Jonas Sanker can take some reps in the slot, as can rookie Lorenzo Styles Jr.
New York Giants: Cornerback
Heading into the final year of his rookie deal, 2023 first-round pick Deonte Banks now projects as a backup cornerback for the New York Giants. Paulson Adebo seems to have one outside cornerback spot under wraps, but Banks will be battling for playing time outside with Greg Newsome II and Colton Hood in 2026.
New York Jets: Cornerback
The assumption is that D’Angelo Ponds will move inside in the NFL, leaving the New York Jets’ outside cornerback spots up for grabs. They have plenty of depth, but there’s a lack of star power between Nahshon Wright, Brandon Stephens, Qwan’tez Stiggers, and Azareye’h Thomas. It’s a far cry from the days of Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, to be sure.
Philadelphia Eagles: Wide Receiver
As previously mentioned, there’s a strong assumption that the Philadelphia Eagles will trade A.J. Brown to the Patriots before the start of the year. DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon will take the top two wide receiver spots, but the other one remains up for grabs. They traded for Dontayvion Wicks, but the presence of Hollywood Brown in that battle shouldn’t be overlooked, either.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Running Back
Kenneth Gainwell is no longer on the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they still have a talented running back tandem between incumbent starter Jaylen Warren and free agent addition Rico Dowdle. Warren was last year’s primary back in Pittsburgh, but Dowdle is a 1,000-yard rusher who has plenty to bring to the table in that offense, as well. It may end up being a 1A-1B situation, but somebody has to be the 1A in that backfield.
San Francisco 49ers: Defensive Tackle
After trading for Osa Odighizuwa this offseason, the San Francisco 49ers made a major upgrade at defensive tackle and found a necessary interior pass-rushing threat. Alongside him on that defensive line figures to be a rotation of Alfred Collins, C.J. West, and Gracen Halton. Collins projects as the favorite as a 2025 second-round pick who’s a bigger body at defensive tackle, but West’s potential as a run defender and Halton’s explosiveness up the middle are worth acknowledging, as well.
Seattle Seahawks: Running Back
Similar to the Steelers’ entry, the Seattle Seahawks will likely utilize a 1A-1B approach in their running back committee. Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price should both see plenty of playing time, but as Charbonnet knows, the 1A consistently gets a few more carries each game. With Kenneth Walker no longer in Seattle, will Charbonnet break into that 1,000-yard rushing territory that he never could with Walker in the mix, or will Price step into that more prevalent role?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Running Back
The aforementioned Gainwell ended up signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, providing Baker Mayfield with some much-needed help out of the backfield With Bucky Irving coming back from injury, there’s no guarantee he’d fare well with a full starting workload, especially after he witnessed slight regression from his stellar 2024 campaign.
Tennessee Titans: Linebacker
The Tennessee Titans traded up for Anthony Hill Jr. in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, securing a likely long-term starter at linebacker. The former Texas star won’t have a starting spot guaranteed for him right out of the gate, though, as he’ll have to battle with veteran Cody Barton for initial playing time alongside Cedric Gray.
Washington Commanders: Left Guard
The Washington Commanders brought back Chris Paul on a one-year deal, but the lack of financial commitment should signal that they don’t view him as a long-term starting option at guard. He’ll be competing for a spot in the lineup with Brandon Coleman, the 2024 third-round pick who has youth on his side but was also benched early in 2025.
