Myles Garrett, Dexter Lawrence, Veteran NFL Additions We Can't Wait to See in 2026 Training Camps

The calendar has reached July, which means that NFL training camps are set to get underway later this month. The 2026 preseason will soon follow, and before you know it, the regular season will be here.

As training camps approach, plenty of attention will be on this year's top rookies and how they adapt to the pro game—Bleacher Report's Alex Kay recently made 10 bold rookie predictions.

However, it's important to remember that several notable veterans will be entering their first camps with new teams, and we're eager to see how they fare.

Here, we'll examine the veteran additions we're most excited to see in training camp this year. We'll look at what they're bringing to their new teams, what we expect them to accomplish in camp, and how they're likely to impact the 2026 regular season.

WR A.J. Brown, New England Patriots

AP Photo

Charles Krupa

The New England Patriots' plan to acquire wideout A.J. Brown on June 1 was the worst-kept secret in the NFL this offseason. As expected, the Patriots did snag Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick.

The move was made to provide third-year quarterback Drake Maye with a legitimate No. 1 receiver who is still in his playing prime. The 29-year-old Brown, who is coming off his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season, is that, and he was quick to fit in at New England's minicamp.

"It all feels normal, like he didn't just get here," Patriots receiver DeMario Douglas said, per ESPN's Mike Reiss.

Brown, of course, does have some experience with head coach Mike Vrabel, stemming from their time together with the Tennessee Titans. In training camp, we expect him to develop a good amount of chemistry with Maye while soaking up Josh McDaniels' offense.

If Brown can hit the ground running in the regular season, we should see Maye make another positive leap while the Patriots remain in AFC East contention.

WR Mike Evans, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Even if Mike Evans was entering his 13th season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, we'd be thrilled to see him in camp and back to pre-injury form.

The future Hall of Famer had his streak of 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons snapped this past season when a broken clavicle and a concussion limited him to eight games.

Evans is now healthy, but he'll soon be suiting up for training camp with the San Francisco 49ers. We can't wait to get a lengthy look at the 32-year-old in Kyle Shanahan's always potent offense.

The reports from the early offseason have been encouraging.

"Your expectations are already high, and I feel like he's already exceeded that," fullback Kyle Juszczyk told NFL Network (h/t JoeBucsFan.com). "He has been unguardable at practice."

Evans has been one of the game's most prolific and consistent receivers for more than a decade. In camp, we fully expect him to establish himself as Brock Purdy's go-to perimeter target.

And if Evans, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey can all stay healthy for the majority of the coming season—Kittle is making his way back from a torn Achilles—San Francisco's offense may go from being a top-10 scoring unit in 2025 to being top-five or better.

Edge Myles Garrett and CB Trent McDuffie, Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Myles Garrett

Brown wasn't the only star player acquired via trade on June 1. The Los Angeles Rams made a deal to secure Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a conditional 2029 third-round pick.

And Garrett wasn't the only star defender acquired by the Rams this offseason. Shortly before April's draft, L.A. got cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for 2026 first-, fifth- and sixth-round picks, plus a 2027 third-rounder.

The price for each player was high, but the potential reward is quite obviously immense. Garrett is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year who just broke the NFL's single-season sack record. McDuffie is a 25-year-old cornerback with 56 starts and one first-team All-Pro on his resume.

It'll be fun seeing how Garrett and McDuffie change the complexion of Chris Shula's defense in training camp. It'll also be fun to see them going against reigning MVP Matthew Stafford and last year's top-ranked offense—when the ones are going against the ones, of course.

Fans should expect to see some tremendous back-and-forth competition between Los Angeles' offense and defense in camp as both units become better prepared for the regular season. Once the fall arrives, expect a defense that ranked 17th overall last season to be significantly more efficient as the Rams firmly establish themselves as top NFC contenders.

Edge Trey Hendrickson, Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Nick Wass

The Baltimore Ravens tried to pull off their own blockbuster trade for a star pass-rusher. However, they ultimately voided their deal for Las Vegas Raiders pass-rusher Maxx Crosby due to a medical issue.

The Ravens, though, did manage to land a standout sack artist after signing former AFC North rival Trey Hendrickson in free agency. He's expected to quickly become a leader in a Baltimore defense now overseen by new head coach Jesse Minter.

So far, Hendrickson appears to be on his way to meeting those expectations.

"He's an unbelievable leader in the edge room. He's helping really bring those young guys along as well," Minter said in May, per NFL.com's Nick Shook.

Along with Minter, Hendrickson should have a hand in changing the Ravens' defensive culture in training camp. The unit ranked just 24th overall this past season and played a huge role in Baltimore's inability to win the division and reach the playoffs.

Fans should expect to see a more aggressive and physical defense in training camp and in the regular season. If Hendrickson can successfully bolster a pass rush that tallied just 30 sacks last season, fans should also expect to see the Ravens back in the postseason.

DT Dexter Lawrence, Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

The Bengals may have lost Hendrickson in free agency, but they added a huge defensive piece when they traded the 10th overall pick in the draft for New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II.

Lawrence might not terrorize quarterbacks off the edge as Hendrickson has done when healthy. However, he's an impactful interior pass-rusher who can collapse the pocket, command double teams, free up blitzing defenders, and help stonewall opposing ball-carriers.

Adding Lawrence was costly, but it will give Cincinnati a difference-making defender who can lead by example.

"It's part of my role to allow people to understand my knowledge of the game and to grow in that sense. I'm just excited to keep growing with them and learning," Lawrence said, per Joe Reedy of the Associated Press.

While the Bengals are still likely to lead with Joe Burrow and their explosive offense, we wouldn't expect their defense to always be a step or two behind in training camp. Lawrence should help the defense, which ranked 31st overall last season, to gain some valuable confidence over the summer.

If Lawrence can help Cincinnati's defense be even average in the regular season, the Bengals will have a real chance to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

WR D.J. Moore, Buffalo Bills

AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes

Since early in Josh Allen's career, the Buffalo Bills have regularly been in AFC contention. However, they've undergone some notable changes after falling short in last year's divisional round.

Most notably, the Bills fired longtime head coach Sean McDermott and replaced him with offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

This is part of the reason why we're excited to see Allen and the Bills operate in training camp. Another reason is the fact that Allen may finally have a new No. 1 receiver in D.J. Moore.

Buffalo has lacked a true No. 1 perimeter target since trading away Stefon Diggs two offseasons ago. Allen has regularly made the most of a mediocre receiving corps, but his inability to depend on receivers getting open (and catching the ball) downfield cost the Bills in the playoffs.

So, the Bills traded a 2026 second-round pick to the Chicago Bears for Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick. That move might just be enough to transform the offense into a championship-caliber unit.

Moore adapted quickly when he was traded to the Bears in 2023, and he had a career-best 1,364 yards that season. We'd expect him to adjust quickly in Bills camp, too, while building anticipation for what he, Allen, and Brady might bring in the regular season.

QB Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Abbie Parr

Of all the veteran quarterbacks who changed teams this offseason—and it's a lengthy list that includes Tua Tagovailoa, Kirk Cousins, Malik Willis, and Geno Smith—we're most excited to see Kyler Murray with his new team.

There are multiple reasons for this, but it all starts with the fact that Murray was once a legitimate rising star. The dynamic dual-threat signal-caller was a two-time Pro Bowler before he suffered a torn ACL in 2022, missed half of 2023, and then saw things just sort of go stale with the Arizona Cardinals.

Set to turn only 29 in August, there's time for Murray to revitalize his career a la Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. By signing with the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent, he's found the best possible place to do it.

The Vikings boast a terrific offensive coach in Kevin O'Connell and a top-tier receiving corps led by Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and recent addition Jauan Jennings.

Minnesota's situation is another reason why we can't wait to see Murray in camp. Under O'Connell, the Vikings have regularly put explosive offenses on the field when they've had capable quarterback play. They didn't have that with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy last season, but Murray already appears to be ahead in the QB competition.

"McCarthy could continue along the upward trajectory he established at the end of last season—and still fall well short of matching Murray's experience, arm talent and potential to make big plays in the passing game," ESPN's Kevin Seifert wrote in May.

We expect Murray to establish himself as QB1 in training camp while injecting some new excitement into the Minnesota offense. And if quarterback and team can both rebound in 2026, the Vikings should be back in the thick of the NFC North race.

RB Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Ed Zurga

Murray is hoping to reestablish himself as a franchise quarterback. Patrick Mahomes has long been one for the Kansas City Chiefs, but for the first time in his career, he's recovering from a significant injury—a torn ACL he suffered in December.

We're excited to see what sort of progress Mahomes has made in his recovery by training camp. He was a partial participant in minicamp, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported last month that Mahomes and the Chiefs still view a Week 1 return as a possibility.

We're equally excited to see what free-agent addition Kenneth Walker III can add to the Chiefs' offense in camp. The reigning Super Bowl MVP is widely expected to be the difference-making three-down back that Kansas City has lacked.

The Chiefs ranked 20th in yards per carry last season but didn't have a running back who reached 4.0 yards per carry. No back reached 650 rushing yards, either, and Mahomes accounted for 23.3 percent of the team's rushing yardage.

Walker should bring some much-needed balance to Kansas City's offense, and while he won't fix the Chiefs' lack of dependable receiver depth, he should make life a lot easier on Mahomes.

If the quarterback isn't continually asked to carry the offense in the regular season, Kansas City could be poised for a bounce-back year.

Expect to get a good initial look at how the Chiefs plan to use Walker in training camp.