Predicting Early Winners of Biggest Position Battles at 2024 NFL OTAs
With all the flowers blooming, spring is the most fragrant of the four seasons and often brings a sense of happiness throughout the country. Granted, people who suffer from seasonal allergies might disagree.
However, everyone can agree that the best part about this time of year is the smell of fresh-cut grass on NFL practice fields as OTAs begin across the league. It signals the start of the new campaign and the beginning of position battles that will continue into training camp.
Here, we'll dive into a few of the biggest and most notable intrasquad matchups in the league and make some predictions on who will have the upper hand heading into the summer practice sessions.
Aidan O'Connell vs. Gardner Minshew II
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It's only been one season since the Las Vegas Raiders moved on from Derek Carr, who was their starting quarterback for nearly a decade, and it hasn't been easy for the team to find his replacement.
The Jimmy Garoppolo experiment was short-lived, and while 2023 fourth-round pick Aidan O'Connell showed promise during his 10 starts as a rookie, he didn't do enough to be the unquestioned starter heading into year two. Thus, the front office inked Gardner Minshew II to a two-year, $25 million ($15 million guaranteed) in free agency.
A historic run on quarterbacks prevented the Silver and Black from drafting another passer to throw into the mix, leaving O'Connell and Minshew to duke it out. And both players have good cases to win the battle.
O'Connell had a strong showing in the preseason and was integral in reviving Las Vegas' campaign when the games counted, going 5-5 as a starter while throwing for over 2,200 yards. Also, he'll have an advantage heading into OTAs seeing as he'll enter with a preexisting relationship with the team's top targets.
Meanwhile, Minshew is the more seasoned veteran with 37 career starts over the last five years.
The 28-year-old is also coming off a performance in which he kept the Indianapolis Colts in the 2023 playoff hunt by being a solid game manager, which is likely what the Raiders will be looking for heading into the fall.
Prediction: O'Connell is QB1 heading into training camp
This isn't to say that the second-year pro will win the job to begin the season, but he should have a leg up in the competition after the spring. His continuity with wide receivers Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers and tight end Michael Mayer should allow O'Connell to hit the ground running and gain momentum heading into camp.
Sam Darnold vs. J.J. McCarthy
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After the Minnesota Vikings reportedly told Kirk Cousins they were going to draft a quarterback, he opted to sign with the Atlanta Falcons.
Still wanting to have a veteran option under center, the Vikings brought in Sam Darnold via free agency on a one-year, $10 million contract.
While the 2018 No. 3 overall pick's career hasn't met expectations, he has one significant advantage in the upcoming quarterback competition.
ESPN's Dan Orlovksy recently revealed how difficult Kyle Shanahan's playbook can be to learn for rookies as a lot of information and terminology is thrown at them from the jump.
And Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell stems from that coaching tree and runs a similar offense.
Having played for Shanahan with the 49ers last season, Darnold should be able to hit the ground running faster with the Vikings than J.J. McCarthy this spring. That will be a significant advantage in OTAs as the rookie's head will likely be spinning.
Granted, McCarthy is the more talented player and clearly the one the organization trusts to be the future of the franchise. Once he masters the playbook, he should have no problem taking over as the team's starter.
Prediction: Darnold remains the Vikings' starter
Unlike the previous quarterback discussion, neither player has an advantage regarding familiarity with the supporting cast. But Darnold's experience as a veteran and in a similar offense gives him a significant leg up over McCarthy. Also, the rookie could use some technical refinement before he's ready for the big stage.
Barring any ghosts haunting Minnesota's facilities, expect the veteran to win this battle to begin the season.
Quinyon Mitchell vs. Cooper DeJean
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The Philadelphia Eagles will hold a rare rookie-versus-rookie battle during OTAs as first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell is set to square off with second-rounder Cooper DeJean for the starting cornerback spot opposite Darius Slay Jr.
James Bradberry notably struggled in the CB2 role a year ago, allowing a 108.6 passer rating when targeted and earning a 54.7 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus. Hence why the front office used its first two picks of the draft on the position.
In the past, Bradberry's ball skills were his biggest claim to fame as he racked up 17 passes defended and three interceptions during the 2022 regular season, earning a second-team All-Pro bid.
So, if the Eagles are looking for a similar skill set, Mitchell would be the logical replacement after he accumulated 37 PDs and six interceptions during his last two seasons at Toledo combined. But don't count out DeJean.
The Iowa product is an elite athlete who recorded a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and a 38.5-inch vertical just a few months after having surgery to fix a fractured fibula. Also, he has decent ball skills with 13 passes defended and seven interceptions over the last two years.
Prediction: Mitchell wins the CB2 role
While Bradberry shouldn't be dismissed in this race, there's a reason why Philadelphia took one of the top corners in April. Mitchell should be able to win the job and will have an advantage over his draftmate heading into OTAs since he won't be recovering from an injury as DeJean is.
Also, the former Hawkeye told the Up & Adams Show that the team is having him work at several different spots (h/t Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports). While that bodes well for the second-rounder's versatility and will help him get on the field faster this fall, it will hurt him when it comes to this position battle specifically.
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Russell Wilson vs. Justin Fields
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Unlike the picture above, Russell Wilson won't be running from T.J. Watt this spring and summer as he'll be donning the famous red quarterback jersey in practice.
Wilson joins the Pittsburgh Steelers after a tough two-year stint with the Broncos, but this past season in Denver wasn't that bad for him.
The 35-year-old only threw eight interceptions while tossing 26 touchdown passes, which was the ninth-most in the league despite getting benched for the final two weeks of the campaign.
Also, Wilson earned a respectable 77.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, with a 72.5 mark as a passer and 80.3 as a runner.
That, plus a dirt-cheap contract are big reasons why the Steelers brought the veteran in to replace Kenny Pickett as the team's starter under center.
However, Wilson will have some competition since the organization also struck a deal with the Chicago Bears for Justin Fields.
To a certain degree, the 2021 first-round pick is a younger version of his counterpart with more upside. He has a strong arm to make all the throws required of an NFL quarterback.
Fields, 25, has 2,220 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in three seasons to be a dynamic weapon with his legs.
That makes for an intriguing quarterback battle once OTAs roll around.
Prediction: Wilson is Pittsburgh's Week 1 starter
There's little question about who has more potential between Wilson and Fields, but both guys are essentially playing on one-year deals after the Steelers declined to pick up the latter's fifth-year option.
So, Pittsburgh appears to be more concerned about winning this fall than building for the future, and the more experienced veteran gives the team the best chance to do that.
Bills No. 1 Wide Receiver
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We'll shift gears a bit for this final position battle because it's more of a Triple Threat match than a head-to-head contest.
After trading away Stefon Diggs, the Buffalo Bills and quarterback Josh Allen are looking for one of the wideouts on the roster to step up and become the team's No. 1 receiver. Heading into OTAs, the three favorites to win the job are rookie Keon Coleman, free-agent signing Curtis Samuel and three-year pro Khalil Shakir.
Coleman is likely the favorite heading into the spring practices after being Buffalo's top draft pick in April. Also, he was described as a "throwback X receiver" by B/R's Derrik Klassen in the former Seminole's scouting report. Part of the reason for that is he's excellent on contested catches to be a go-to target for Allen in the "gotta have it" situations.
Then there's Samuel, who is a good route-runner to create separation. That's a big reason why he was able to accumulate nearly 1,300 receiving yards and eight touchdowns over the last two seasons despite the Commanders' unstable QB situation. He's someone Allen can trust to win and get open in one-on-one situations.
Finally, Shakir proved to be an up-and-comer a year ago after recording over 600 yards despite only making 10 starts. He has impressive short-area quickness to be a reliable slot receiver and safety net for quarterbacks.
Even with all of that, the Boise State product's biggest competitive advantage might be that he's the only one of the three who has familiarity with Allen.
Prediction: Shakir enters training camp as Bills' top receiver
While Coleman may end up taking over this role once the fall comes around, it's reasonable to expect he'll have a bumpy transition to the NFL as that's the case with just about any rookie.
Pivoting to the veterans, Samuel and Shakir, the latter's experience working with the team's starting quarterback gives him a significant advantage. Also, year three is often when wideouts find their stride in the league.
So, don't be surprised to hear some buzz about Shakir over the next month or so.
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