Predicting Winner of 2025 NFL Training Camp's Biggest Position Battles

NFL minicamps are back underway this week as teams continue to prepare for the 2025 campaign.

These minicamps are setting the stage for training camp later in the summer, marking the most important part of the offseason in terms of getting a squad ready for the long grind of an NFL season.

The top highlight of training camps are the positional battles, especially those featuring exciting young rookies and/or proven veterans going head-to-head for a starting job.

While every team will play host to position battles during camp, there are some competitions that stick out as far more meaningful than others. Whether the stakes are high due to a key role on a Super Bowl favorite being up for grabs or a hyped rookie is challenging an entrenched veteran, there will be several must-see contests in the coming months.

With that in mind, here's a look at the biggest position battles that will take place during training camp and predictions on which player will come out on top.

Baltimore Ravens Left Guard

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Andrew Vorhees

Candidates: Andrew Vorhees, Ben Cleveland, Garrett Dellinger

The Baltimore Ravens led the league in rushing last year and should continue to be a force on the ground in 2025. They have a hole at left guard, though, and must unearth a capable replacement for free-agency departure Patrick Mekari.

Fortunately for Baltimore, there are plenty of in-house options to fill the void.

Vorhees could return to the position he started three games at last year before suffering an ankle injury that cost him the job. The 2023 seventh-rounder has struggled with availability since tearing his ACL at that year's combine, but he has all the tools to be a stalwart interior pass protector and run-blocker when healthy.

Cleveland is also a candidate to earn a full-time starting role for the first time in his career. While he's been active for 54 games since the Ravens tapped him in Round 3 of the 2021 draft, he's drawn just seven starts—the most recent coming during the 2023 season.

Dellinger has the potential to usurp both veterans with a standout camp. While expectations aren't too high for the rookie seventh-rounder, he proved to be a versatile talent who logged time at three different spots in the offensive trenches during his four-year stint at LSU. Most of his reps came at left guard, though, and he could continue in his natural position right away in the NFL.

Although this projects to be a tight competition, Vorhees earned the coaching staff's trust last offseason and is a good bet to repeat that feat. He still needs to show he can stay healthy, but the 26-year-old should open the year as the starter if he can avoid the injury bug.

Predicted Winner: Andrew Vorhees

Chicago Bears Tight End

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Colston Loveland, left, and Ben Johnson

Candidates: Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet

The Chicago Bears have pulled out all the stops when it comes to supporting Caleb Williams. They hired offensive mastermind Ben Johnson as head coach before spending the offseason using free-agency dollars and draft picks to augment the second-year signal-caller with more weapons and better protection.

One of the biggest investments Chicago made was expending an early first-round pick on Colston Loveland, a hulking tight end out of Michigan who could emerge as one of the QB's top targets early in his career.

Loveland has everything a team could want in a modern pass-catching tight end. He measures up at 6'6", 248 pounds and had a highly productive collegiate career. Since emerging as the starter ahead of the Wolverines' national championship-winning 2023 campaign, the 21-year-old racked up 1,231 yards and nine touchdowns on 101 receptions.

While Loveland grades out as a top prospect due to his elite hands, route-running skills and athleticism, it's difficult for tight ends to make a quick transition to the pros. That issue will be compounded by the presence of Kmet, who could relegate the No. 10 overall pick to backup duties in 2025.

Kmet seemed to be a potential long-term answer to Chicago's tight end woes after he broke out with 13 touchdowns between the 2022-23 seasons. He struggled with Williams at the helm last year, though, putting up a 47/474/4 stat line that represented his poorest campaign since his 2020 rookie year.

It remains to be seen if Kmet can bounce back and display a better rapport with his signal-caller in Year 2 of their partnership. While he's unlikely to be a high-volume option in Chicago's talent-laden passing attack, he could reemerge as a safety net who racks up a good number of red-zone touchdowns.

Expect both of Chicago's tight ends to see the field in 2025, but Kmet's experience, pass-blocking skills and sure hands will likely give him an edge in playing time.

Factor in that Loveland is still working his way back from an injury that has cost him valuable camp reps, and it's hard to see him usurping the proven veteran and becoming a starter until 2026 at the earliest.  

Predicted Winner: Cole Kmet

Cleveland Browns Quarterback

AP Photo/Phil Long

Kenny Pickett, left, and Joe Flacco

Candidates: Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel

Even before the 2025 NFL draft brought Sanders and Gabriel into play, the Browns had an intriguing competition between Flacco and Pickett on their hands. The addition of the two rookies only raises the stakes and makes it more likely that at least one QB gets cut by the end of training camp.

Flacco is one of the favorites to win the QB1 role. Going into an age-40 campaign after struggling during his pitstop with the Indianapolis Colts last year, he's still only a season removed from saving Cleveland's season.

After being signed off the street, the Super Bowl XLVII MVP led the Browns to four wins in five starts—throwing for 1,616 yards and 13 scores in those contests.

Pickett has a viable chance of beating out Flacco. While he didn't get much run during his lone campaign with the Philadelphia Eagles, he claimed a ring of his own and earned valuable experience backing up Jalen Hurts.

Pickett boasts a respectable 15-10 record across 25 career starts and could rehabilitate his career by winning this competition.

Gabriel will be in the mix after landing with the Browns on Day 2 of the draft. It seems he will get a fair shake as well, given he was one of three Cleveland QBs to take first-team reps last week.

Working against him is his inexperience and brutal schedule that includes meetings with the Bengals, Ravens, Packers and Lions in September alone. Even if Gabriel continues to look strong in practice, Cleveland's brass may opt to protect the young passer from that tough slate and make a change later in the season.

Sanders is the longest shot to come out on top, especially after sliding in the draft. Although he's an accurate thrower and has fared well during his limited camp reps with the second team, he has an uphill battle to go from the QB4 to QB1 over the course of a few months.  His popularity and pedigree could help him stick with the team, but he's almost certain to remain on the bench at the start of the new season.

Whichever veteran fares best in camp should end up with the starting role to open the season. Both are capable of winning, but Pickett has a slight edge due to his higher age-based ceiling—something Flacco doesn't have at this stage of his career.

If the battle is close, expect the tie to go to the upside.

Predicted Winner: Kenny Pickett

Los Angeles Chargers Running Back

AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea

Omarion Hampton

Candidates: Omarion Hampton, Najee Harris, Kimani Vidal

The Los Angeles Chargers' new-look rushing attack is going to be tough to stop. They not only signed Najee Harris—one of the league's most consistent rushers over the last four seasons—but they also landed one of the top running back prospects in Omarion Hampton.

It initially seemed Harris would be the shoo-in starter after the team signed the former Steeler at the start of the new league year. But the selection of Hampton at No. 22 overall shook things up, and it now appears the two will square off in an excellent head-to-head training battle for the distinction of starting.

Harris brings plenty of experience to the table, having started all 68 games since he was taken on Day 1 of the 2021 draft. He's rushed for at least 1,000 yards and six touchdowns in each of those four seasons as well, although he has regressed following a breakout Pro Bowl rookie campaign.

Harris lost a significant amount of playing time to Jaylen Warren last year, resulting in him seeing the field for a career-low 50 percent of offensive snaps in his final season in Pittsburgh.

Hampton has the potential to be as consistent as Harris while being far more productive. He's similarly sized to Harris—both players have a three-down build—but displayed more speed and elusiveness during his time at UNC.

Hampton ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and showcased a 38-inch vertical leap at the combine, a testament to the athleticism that will make him a nightmare for opposing defenses to deal with.

Vidal could shake things up with a good camp as well. He was a trendy pick to break out as a rookie last year, but the 2024 sixth-rounder never lived up to the hype and posted a meager 155 yards on 43 carries in his 10 appearances. He's highly unlikely to claim the starting job over Hampton or Harris, but he could cut into both of their workloads if he takes a leap this offseason and reaches his playmaking potential.  

Harris and Hampton are both fine picks to start in 2025. Each will log plenty of touches and make an impact too. One has to start, though, and Hampton will likely narrowly edge out the veteran for the RB1 job due to his passing-game upside and lack of wear-and-tear compared to his veteran counterpart.

Predicted Winner: Omarion Hampton

New England Patriots Wide Receiver

AP

Candidates: Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, Kendrick Bourne, Ja'Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, DeMario Douglas

The New England Patriots have a logjam to untangle at receiver this offseason.

While the club seems to have found its No. 1 option by signing Stefon Diggs—who has performed well during limited OTA reps—the depth behind the four-time Pro Bowler is murky. There are as many as six players who will be in the running to serve as Drake Maye's No. 2 pass-catcher, a group that includes a mix of both young talent and experienced vets.

Douglas was the team's leading receiver last year, but he didn't make a major leap from his rookie year. He's posted a respectable 1,182 yards and three touchdowns on 115 receptions across his first 31 career games, but he will be hard-pressed to hang onto his high-volume role with new contenders vying for it this offseason.

Williams is the newest member of New England's receiving corps after being selected in the third round of April's draft. He's been getting first-team reps during minicamp and drew high praise from position coach Todd Downing.

Having ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and displayed a 36.5-inch vertical leap at the combine, Williams profiles as an athletic X receiver who could be a perfect complement to Diggs.

Mack Hollins will be in the running as well following his acquisition in free agency. While he's never put up big numbers—his best season resulted in a 57/690/4 stat line in 2022 with the Las Vegas Raiders—the 31-year-old has veteran savvy and could be a reliable target for Maye during a pivotal sophomore campaign.

Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker both had disappointing rookie campaigns last season and need to make up ground in order to impress head coach Mike Vrabel's new regime.

Polk was especially underwhelming compared to his early Day 2 draft position, catching 12 balls for 87 yards and two scores in 15 appearances. Neither player is a bust yet, but getting buried on the depth chart could sound a death knell to their chances of catching on in New England.

It's far from certain, but early glimpses of Williams seem to suggest he's ready to step into a prominent role right away. If he can stay consistent and fend off Hollins and Douglas during training camp, he will be New England's No. 2 receiver in 2025.

Predicted Winner: Kyle Williams