NFL’s 10 biggest position battles for 2025 training camps

Giants QB? Packers’ top WR? Tracking NFL’s training camp position battles

NFL training camps are right around the corner.

We have almost made it, friends.

But as rookies and veterans report, and the pads start to go on, there are some fascinating position battles taking shape around the league. Here are ten critical training camp battles we will be watching as the 2025 NFL season starts to take shape.

Who wins the quarterback job for the Cleveland Browns?

There is an old saying around the game, often attributed to John Madden, that states “if you have two quarterbacks, you really have none.”

What would Madden say about the 2025 Cleveland Browns?

The Browns enter training camp with five quarterbacks on the roster. They have three veterans in Joe Flacco, Deshaun Watson, and Kenny Pickett, along with a pair of rookies in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.

One of these quarterbacks is going to be the Week 1 starter.

Watson is out of the running, given that he reinjured his Achilles and is likely out for the season. But that leaves four viable options for the Browns as training camp opens.

And yes, if you are feeling so inspired, you can place a wager on who wins this contest. (Flacco is currently listed as the favorite over Pickett).

It goes without saying, but PLEASE PLAY RESPONSIBLY.

Who wins the quarterback job for the New York Giants?

There is no doubt that New York has the funniest quarterback room in the NFL right now. GM Joe Shoen and coach Brian Daboll are firmly in crisis mode as they try to throw anything at the wall to retain their jobs. That means the QB battle in camp could get weird.

This is a depth chart of Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Jaxon Dart, and Tommy DeVito. Not only are these guys extremely dissimilar personality wise, they play nothing alike. Wilson is a reliable short-yardage passer, Winston is an unreliable big play passer, Dart can only throw to one side of the field, and DeVito is Tommy DeVito. There’s no cohesion here, and that makes the QB battle totally unpredictable. Literally anything could happen based on what Daboll values in training camp, making this a battle to watch.

Who wins the quarterback job for the Indianapolis Colts?

Do we know what the Colts are planning at quarterback? More importantly: Do the Colts know what they’re doing at quarterback? Anthony Richardson is only 23-years-old, but thus far hasn’t been given the time or support to really shine. Then there’s the odd glut of players behind him, with Indianapolis signing Daniel Jones in free agency. Jones is not a great quarterback, but he’s safer than Richardson who is more of a boom or bust passer.

Of course, there’s also the outside chance that 6th round rookie Riley Leonard could surprise in camp. It’s all a bit murky right now, and while all logic points to either Richardson or Jones getting the nod, the unpredictability of the Colts offense means we perhaps shouldn’t be shocked if something weird happens in camp.

Who emerges as the top options at WR for the Green Bay Packers?

It finally happened.

Maybe it just took an NFL Draft in Green Bay to break the streak.

After years of Green Bay Packers fans clamoring for the team to add a wide receiver in the first round, the organization did just that in April, drafting speedy Matthew Golden out of Texas. That made him the first first-round WR taken by the Packers since Javon Walker back in 2002.

That’s right, Packers fans that were born the year the Packers last drafted a WR in the first round have been able to celebrate wins with Carry the G Cream Ale for a few seasons now.

Now Golden needs to deliver on the field, but whether he breaks camp as the team’s WR1 remains to be seen. Golden joins a very crowded Packers’ position group, which currently has 12 players in the WR room. Will he secure the top spot, or will players like Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, or Savion Williams lead the Packers next season?

Travis Hunter vs. Travis Hunter

This is not so much a battle between players, but a battle within one, with history, the trend toward specialization, and practice time all playing a role.

Travis Hunter Jr. has a chance to become football’s version of Shohei Ohtani, a rare two-way player in an era of hyper-specialization. He was a standout at Colorado the past two seasons, winning the Heisman Trophy this past campaign, while starting at both cornerback and wide receiver.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made an aggressive move to No. 2 in the 2025 NFL Draft to secure his services, and now face the most fascinating question of the summer: What is his primary role? Will Jacksonville view him mostly as a wide receiver, slotting him alongside Brian Thomas Jr. to get the most out of Trevor Lawrence? Will they use him primarily as a cornerback, bolstering a secondary that truly needs help?

Or will they try and use him full-time at both spots?

Tracking how the Jaguars use Hunter during his first NFL training camp might just be the most fascinating story of the summer.

Who wins the starting tight end job for the Chicago Bears?

The Chicago Bears selected Cole Kmet in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, with hopes he could be a focal point in the passing game for them. After two slugging seasons, Kmet enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2022, hauling in 50 passes for 544 yards and seven touchdowns. He improved on those numbers in 2023, catching a career-high 73 passes for 719 yards and six touchdowns.

Those numbers slipped a bit last year with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams under center, but with Ben Johnson coming over as the team’s new head coach — and his usage of tight ends in the passing game as well — one might expect those numbers to get a boost.

Hold that thought.

The reason? Chicago drafted another tight end this past spring, Michigan product Colston Loveland. But with the Bears selecting him with the tenth-overall selection, there is speculation that Johnson looks at Loveland as the potential TE1 in this offense, and not Kmet.

Will that speculation match reality? Will Kmet hold off the rookie? Will Chicago rely on heavy dose of 12 personnel this year? All questions that we will get answers to as training camp unfolds.

How does the Carolina Panthers’ WR room shake out?

The Carolina Panthers went from having the saddest receiver room in the NFL to an overstacked one in a hurry, and there’s no telling how this all shakes out. It’s clear the organization believes rookie Tetairoa McMillan can be their No. 1 receiver of the future, but after him it’s gets incredibly murky.

Adam Thielen is back for another season, but appears to be more in a mentorship role this year than being relied on as a true on-field impact. There’s Xavier Legette who was the team’s first round pick in 2024, undrafted free agent Jalen Coker who broke out in limited reps last season, rookie Jimmy Horn who turned heads at OTAs, and then Hunter Renfrow, who stunningly came out of retirement to try and make an NFL comeback.

That’s a lot of mouths to feed. Even if we work under the assumption that McMillan is the No. 1, after that it’s anyone’s guess. Will Legette be opposite him or will he work out of the slot? Will Thielen be featured or a depth option? How do Coker, Horn and Renfrow fit into this crowded depth chart? Training camp will determine how this all shakes out, and it’s going to be one of the toughest battles around the league.

Who wins the left tackle job in Kansas City?

Along the way to Super Bowl LIX many experts pointed to the offensive line as a potential problem for the Kansas City Chiefs. Yet as they rolled through the regular season and into the playoffs, Patrick Mahomes and company found ways to overcome that perceived weakness.

The bill finally came due in the big game, as the Philadelphia Eagles hounded Mahomes to the tune of 16 pressures and six sacks despite using just a four-man rush during the entire contest.

This year that group will look a little different, particularly on the left side. Veteran Joe Thuney, who slid to left tackle due to need last year, is in Chicago having been traded to the Bears. That means 2024 second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia likely slides into the left guard spot vacated by Thuney.

As for left tackle, Kansas City drafted Josh Simmons out of Ohio State to close out the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Simmons began his college career on the right side at San Diego State, before moving over to the left side after transferring to Ohio State. He is also coming off a knee injury, which clouds the picture somewhat. He likely gets the first crack at the spot, but veteran Jaylon Moore, added in free agency, is another option.

Protecting Mahomes’ blindside is a big task in Kansas City, and after Super Bowl LIX Andy Reid and company will want the best man for the job.

Watching the Dallas Cowboys running back group

Much was made last year of the decision from the Dallas Cowboys not to pursue Derrick Henry, with owner Jerry Jones going as far as to say that Henry would not be having a career year with the Cowboys, but as training camps are set to open running back remains one of the questions in Dallas. In the wake of a 1,000-yard season Rico Dowdle left town to sign a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers, and at the moment the RB room in Dallas has three leading candidates for significant action: Free agent Javonte Williams, veteran Miles Sanders, and fifth-round draft pick Jaydon Blue. Dallas also has seventh-round pick Phil Mafah out of Clemson, and 2023 sixth-round selection Deuce Vaughn in the fold.

If Williams looks like the player he was before his 2022 knee injury, this group could come together well for the Cowboys. But seeing how this position group shakes out during training camp is a storyline to monitor.

What receivers step up in New England?

The main goal in New England this season is for the Patriots to unleash the best version of second-year quarterback Drake Maye.

Sorting out the wide receiver room around him would help that goal along tremendously.

The most productive WR last year for the Patriots was DeMario Douglas, who caught 66 passes for 621 yards and three touchdowns working primarily out of the slot. He was followed by Kayshon Boutte, who caught 43 passes for 589 yards and three touchdowns and Kendrick Bourne, who added another 28 receptions for 305 yards and a score.

As you would probably agree, those are not jaw-dropping numbers.

The Patriots drafted a pair of wide receivers in 2024 in Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. They combined for 13 receptions for 99 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

New England added to that position group this offseason, bringing in Stefon Diggs and adding Draft Media favorite and Senior Bowl standout Kyle Williams in the third round. But how quickly Williams can get up to speed in the NFL, and how well Diggs rebounds from an ACL injury, are two more questions facing this group.

There are plenty of targets to be had in this New England offense under Josh McDaniels. Who will earn the right to those during training camp?