Five red-hot position battles to monitor ahead of NFL training camps

NFL training camps won't open until late July, but teams continue to shape rosters at non-contact OTAs and mandatory mini-camps.

Ahead of training camp, here are the five most interesting competitions to monitor: 

Cleveland Browns: Quarterbacks

Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are competing to be the starter. Flacco has an edge on the group as a 17-year veteran, and he led the Browns to a playoff berth in 2023 during his first stint in Cleveland.

However, Flacco is 40, and reports indicate team personnel believe there is a path for Sanders to start Week 1 although third-rounder Gabriel was drafted two rounds ahead of him. Regardless, the Browns desperately need a reset at the position after enduring the Deshaun Watson debacle.

Buffalo Bills: Cornerbacks

The Bills will be featured this season on "Hard Knocks" as they look to get past Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes and into the Super Bowl. To do that, though, they'll need better play from their corners, as their defense allowed an average of 6.2 yards per pass attempt last season (15th in the league).

Buffalo brought back cornerbacks Dane Jackson (Panthers last season) and Tre'Davious White (Rams, Ravens in 2024) and bolstered the group by drafting Maxwell Hairston and Dorian Strong in the first and sixth rounds of the 2025 NFL draft, respectively. 

This group will compete for the cornerback spot across from Christian Benford, who had 50 solo tackles and two interceptions in 2024. For the Bills to raise the Lombardi Trophy, they'll need a cornerback duo that can limit elite wide receivers.

Kansas City Chiefs: Offensive line

The most notable factor in Kansas City's 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX was the collapse of its offensive line. According to Next Gen Stats, the Eagles generated 16 pressures and sacked Mahomes six times without sending a blitz.

Right tackle Joe Thuney shuffled to left tackle to protect Mahomes' blindside better last season, but that lock-down protection never materialized, and the team traded Thuney to the Bears in the offseason. In free agency, the Chiefs gave tackle Jaylon Moore a two-year, $30M contract to replace Thuney, but they also drafted competition for him by selecting Ohio State Buckeye Josh Simmons in the first round. How the left tackle plays for Kansas City could define the team's season.

Cincinnati Bengals: Edge-rushers

The Bengals are in an awkward spot after defensive end Trey Hendrickson made his contract dispute with the team public. As their best defensive player, Hendrickson recorded 17.5 sacks last season, the most in the NFL.

Edge-rushers Joseph Ossai, Myles Murphy and rookie Shemar Stewart (only 4.5 sacks in three seasons at Texas A&M) have a chance to move up the depth chart, but this group doesn't inspire much confidence. Ossai had just five sacks last season, and Murphy has only three sacks in two seasons with Cincinnati. Still, someone must be the No. 1 pass-rusher if Hendrickson does not return.

New England Patriots: Wide receivers

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs arrived at OTAs after a video of him partying on a yacht went viral. Not a good look. The coaching staff seemed to brush the incident aside, but the incident might provide an opportunity for another wideout.

Quarterback Drake Maye needs a target to rely on in his second season, and who that will be is still undecided. If the coaching staff doesn't trust Diggs as the summer goes on, third-round rookie Kyle Williams could break out and take the No. 1 receiver spot.