Early Predictions for NFL's Top 2026 Position Battles with OTAs Underway

Memorial Day has come and gone, which means summer has unofficially begun, but many NFL teams didn't wait for the warmer weather. They have already gone "camping" at their facilities.

This camp doesn't involve s'mores, singalongs, or mosquito repellent, though. It's shorts and shells, quarterbacks in red jerseys, and rookies meeting their veteran teammates for the first time.

It's OTA time across the NFL.

Granted, many of these workouts are voluntary, and teams won't start hitting for some time yet. But this is the first chance for veterans and rookies alike to stake a claim not only to a spot on the 53-man roster but also to a starting role in 2026.

There are multiple quarterback battles across the league featuring signal-callers who are both making a fortune and trying to resurrect their careers. At least one playoff team from a year ago needs a new left tackle. And multiple contenders are trying to fix defensive holes that were their undoing in 2025.

Many of those battles will not be decided until well into the dog days of summer. But that won't stop us from doing a little barking of our own and predicting how those position battles will shake out.

Minnesota Vikings Quarterback

AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

J.J. McCarthy

J.J. McCarthy vs. Kyler Murray

A lot can change in the NFL in a couple of years. Just ask J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray.

At this time in 2024, McCarthy was fresh off being the 12th overall selection in the NFL draft. Murray was two years removed from signing a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension with the Arizona Cardinals. Both were regarded as the future under center for their respective teams.

Now, the Redbirds are paying Murray over $35 million to play for another team. After two injury-marred seasons, McCarthy is trying to hold off Murray and hang onto his role as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

While appearing on Good Morning Football, Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson said he's looking forward to seeing the battle to throw him the rock in 2026:

"Just competition, for real. Just to see, who's gonna be that last man standing? Who's gonna be that dawg? Who's gonna be that leader to carry us throughout the season? Because that is definitely a missing piece that we're looking for and something that is very important to our team, which is the quarterback spot."

The thing is, this probably isn't going to be much of a battle. Murray's last few seasons have not been his best, but even then he has been better than McCarthy in just about every statistical category.

Murray is also a former Offensive Rookie of the Year and a two-time Pro Bowler who has shown he can take a team to the playoffs.

If head coach Kevin O'Connell can work half the magic with Murray he did with Sam Darnold, the Vikings could be a formidable team this season.

Projected Winner: Murray

Atlanta Falcons Quarterback

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Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr.

Michael Penix Jr. vs. Tua Tagovailoa

There are more than a few similarities between the brewing quarterback battle in Atlanta and the one in the Twin Cities.

Like J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix was a high draft pick in 2024 who has struggled to stay on the field. Like Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa got a massive extension from his old team only to be shown the door in the offseason. In fact, the Miami Dolphins ate an NFL-record $98 million dead cap hit to move on from Tagovailoa.

Penix has yet to be cleared for team activities as he rehabs an ACL tear. But once he is, new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters it's going to be an open competition between the two to start under center in Atlanta:

"I think it's our job—I think [offensive coordinator] Tommy Rees does an outstanding job of making sure that we're intentional about how we want this to operate. One guy will be up first one period and then switch with the next period and rotate every single day and really almost every drill because the truth is we're trying to get the best version of all of our players, so we want to mix and match guys in different spots."

Penix was better in 2025 than in his rookie season, but his injury isn't the only thing leaving him facing an uphill battle. As recently as two years ago, Tagovailoa led the league in completion percentage. The year before that, he paced the NFL with 4,624 passing yards.

If Tagovailoa can approach that level of performance in 2026, then he's simply a better quarterback than Penix.

Projected Winner: Tagovailoa

Cleveland Browns Quarterback

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

Deshaun Watson

Deshaun Watson vs. Shedeur Sanders

The Cleveland Browns have cycled through seemingly endless options under center in search of a competent quarterback over the past two decades.

For the most part, they have fallen well short of expectations, including a trade for Deshaun Watson and a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million extension that have been widely criticized as among the worst personnel decisions in recent NFL history.

Watson didn't play at all last year as he rehabbed a torn Achilles, but new Cleveland head coach Todd Monken told reporters the 30-year-old has looked good in OTAs.

"Deshaun's athleticism shows up," Monken said. "Obviously he's had that, but he's had injuries that have set him back. I wouldn't say it's a surprise, but it's exciting to see--it's a weapon for him. It's one of his superpowers, his athleticism."

Monken also lauded the development of second-year pro Shedeur Sanders, stating that the competition between the two to start for the Browns may last well into the summer.

"I think Shedeur's come miles, in terms of his progressions, getting the ball out, his understanding of concepts," he said. "I think he's really, really come a long way. "You'd love to have [an established depth chart] at every position at the end of spring, but you can't guarantee that. We'll have it set for Jacksonville [in Week 1]."

At this point, many Browns fans simply want the Watson era, which has been mired in controversy and disappointment, to be over. But Monken had no part in any of that mess; his job is to win games in 2026.

And if Watson is healthy, he gives the Browns the best chance to do that. It's been a while, but Watson has shown that he can be a capable NFL starter.

Sanders gave no such indication as a rookie.

Projected Winner: Watson

Carolina Panthers Left Tackle

AP Photo/Duane Burleson

Rasheed Walker

Rasheed Walker vs. Monroe Freeling

The Carolina Panthers won the NFC South last year, but that trip to the playoffs came at a high cost. Starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu tore his patellar tendon in the Wild Card Round, leaving his status for 2026 very much in doubt.

The Panthers took a two-pronged approach to filling that hole in the offseason. They signed veteran Rasheed Walker in free agency and used a first-round pick on Georgia's Monroe Freeling.

While addressing the media, Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said that there will be an open competition to replace Ekwonu (even if only temporarily) in training camp:

"In terms of Monroe (Freeling), he'll compete with Rasheed (Walker). We were lucky to get him in free agency, another guy we think highly about, a veteran who's played a lot of games in this league. We feel like we have a lot of optionality there and looking forward to seeing those guys compete. To get a franchise left tackle at pick 18 like we did, I mean, it's definitely a blessing, and we're super psyched about it."

Walker started 33 games at tackle for the Green Bay Packers the past two seasons, allowing five sacks in 986 snaps last year, per Pro Football Focus. Freeling may well be the more talented player, but the learning curve at left tackle can be steep when making the jump to the NFL.

Experience will win the day here, and it will be Walker protecting Bryce Young's blindside in the season opener.

Projected Winner: Walker

Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Jaylen Warren

Jaylen Warren vs. Rico Dowdle

This isn't a true position battle per se. Like so many NFL backfields in 2026, both holdover Jaylen Warren and free-agent acquisition Rico Dowdle will see work in the Pittsburgh Steelers backfield this year. There aren't many 350-plus touches backs in the league nowadays.

New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy coached Dowdle in Dallas, and he told reporters that he expects big things from the seventh-year veteran in 2026:

"Always loved the way he played the game. And [he's] a former quarterback so he has some skills that may surprise some but his playstyle, his running style is the first thing. He's wicked smart, protections—he's an excellent third down back and the first time he touched the ball he went 65 yards on kickoff. He's a really good player and he and Jaylen [Warren] are a great combination."

Both backs were productive last year. Dowdle topped 1,000 yards on the ground for the second straight season last year with the Panthers, while the 27-year-old Warren flirted with 1,300 total yards with the Steelers in 2025.

Both runners also possess an every-down skill set in theory, although Dowdle is the superior back between the tackles.

Dowdle averaged 4.6 yards per carry over each of the last two years, and he's the better early-down option of the pair.

Given that and his familiarity with McCarthy's offense, it will likely be Dowdle who leads the team in backfield touches, with Warren returning to the third-down role he played when Najee Harris was in the Steel City.

Projected Winner: Dowdle

Green Bay Packers Cornerback

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Carrington Valentine

Carrington Valentine vs. Benjamin St-Juste vs. Brandon Cisse

The Green Bay Packers were a playoff team last year, but they limped into the postseason, and the play of third-year cornerback Carrington Valentine was an issue.

In 780 snaps, he allowed almost 60 percent of the passes thrown in his direction to be completed and had a passer rating against of over 120.

The team addressed that issue in both free agency and this year's draft, adding veteran Benjamin St-Juste and using its first selection on South Carolina's Brandon Cisse.

Those additions have done more than just create a position battle at corner. Per Bleacher Report's Moe Moton, it could cost Valentine his roster spot altogether.

"In 2025, Valentine saw an uptick in defensive snaps compared to his first two years, lining up for 70 percent of the plays," he wrote. "He recorded 31 tackles and four pass breakups, but that isn't enough to secure a lead role. Under new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, rookie second-rounder Brandon Cisse, sixth-year veteran Benjamin St-Juste and rookie sixth-rounder Domani Jackson could compete for snaps on the boundary of the secondary, leading to questions about Valentine's short-term future."

Unless Cisse is stellar in training camp, it's not especially likely that the Packers are going to start a rookie at cornerback. The acquisitions the team made would certainly appear to indicate a reluctance to start Valentine again. That leaves St-Juste, a 28-year-old who played sparingly last year with the Los Angeles Chargers but made 45 starts over four seasons in Washington.

He'll open the season as the starter opposite Keisean Nixon, but his margin for error will be slim.

Projected Winner: St-Juste

Baltimore Ravens Edge-Rusher

AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough

Zion Young

Mike Green vs. Tavius Robinson vs. Zion Young

We know who will be manning one starting edge-rusher spot for the Baltimore Ravens in 2026—the team didn't sign Trey Hendrickson to a lucrative deal to keep him on the sideline. But the starting spot opposite him is up for grabs.

There's Mike Green, who the Ravens drafted in Round 2 last year after he led the FBS in sacks in 2024 at Marshall. There's fourth-year pro Tavius Robinson, who logged 4.5 sacks in 10 games last year. And there's rookie Zion Young, who the Ravens took at Pick No. 45 back in April.

Young isn't the favorite to win the job entering camp, but ESPN's Matt Miller suggested he may well be the best complement to Hendrickson on the edge:

"He's an ideal fit for new coach Jesse Minter's defense. Hendrickson was added to handle one side, but Young's power and all-around game might be a better fit opposite him than Mike Green, last year's second-round pick. After a 2025 season in which the team struggled to get pressure, addressing edge was the Ravens' No. 1 priority. With Young joining Hendrickson in the fold, (GM Eric) DeCosta was successful yet again."

This is a legitimate toss-up. Robinson is the most proven option, logging those 4.5 sacks last year in 451 snaps. Green was drafted for his pass-rushing upside. Young may well be the most talented of the trio.

All three will play this season, but with a strong camp Young's combination of physicality and athleticism could prove tough to keep off the field.

Projected Winner: Young

Tennessee Titans Inside Linebacker

AP Photo/Eric Gay

Anthony Hill Jr.

Cody Barton vs. Anthony Hill Jr.

The Tennessee Titans are hoping to make a major leap forward under new head coach Robert Saleh—and they may be doing so with a new leader in the middle of the defense.

Last year, the team's "green dot" linebacker was eighth-year veteran Cody Barton, who played all 1,061 defensive snaps for the team. But for a player who never left the field, Barton's production was less than impressive—his 81 total tackles were the 29-year-old's fewest since 2021.

Those pedestrian numbers spurred the team to use a second-round pick on Anthony Hill Jr., who averaged over 90 stops a season the last two years at Texas.

Hill told reporters he's looking forward to showing in camp that he can be an immediate contributor in the NFL:

"Right now, I'm just trying to show that I'm a hard worker and I'm willing to learn. So right now, that's really all I've been focused on is to continue to work hard, continue to get better every day and just learn. We just want to continue to just keep working hard. When we get with the group, we just want to fit in and kind of try to help set a new standard. We got a whole new staff. So just try to work hard and have fun and kind of find my own role, carve my own role into the team."

It is possible Hill could also push Cedric Gray for the starting Will linebacker job. However, Hill has experience making defensive play calls, Gray finished top five in the NFL in total tackles last season, and Hill is simply a more athletic, explosive player than Barton.

Projected Winner: Hill