7 NFL Rookies Who Could Earn Starting Jobs During the Preseason

At this point of the offseason, training camp battles are a major focus. Players are in competition. Rookies can emerge to become regular-season starters.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza might be an exception, but most of the top draft picks have clear pathways to lead positions.

Most rookies are either in wide-open competition for lead spots on the depth chart or trying to make the roster.

Aside from obvious potential rookie starters like Jeremiyah Love, here are seven first-year players who are in highly contested battles and could earn starting roles.

These rookies are in headline competitions that could be decided in the preseason.

WR Denzel Boston, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/David Richard

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Denzel Boston

Cleveland Browns rookie wideouts Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion will both battle for key roles, though the former could be on the field more frequently than the latter in two-receiver sets.

At 6'4", 209 pounds, Boston has the size and skill set to be a starting X-receiver on the boundary. He can also be the primary target in the red zone. Over his last two collegiate terms at Washington, the big-bodied wideout hauled in 20 touchdown receptions.

After the draft, general manager Andrew Berry called Jerry Jeudy the "bell cow" of the Browns' passing attack. Still, Boston could see plenty of opportunities in the passing game as a complementary receiver. 

If Boston shines in the preseason, while Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders battle for the starting quarterback job, he should be able to lock down a lead role. Cleveland may shop fourth-year wide receiver Cedric Tillman on the trade block.

WR Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Marta Lavandier

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Caleb Douglas

The Miami Dolphins have the most unsettled wide receiver group without a bona fide starter at the position. 

This offseason, Miami released Tyreek Hill and traded Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos, which cleared the top spots on the receiver depth chart. The team went on to draft Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell in the third round and Kevin Coleman in the fifth round.

The Dolphins placed Bell on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from a torn ACL. In the preseason, Douglas and Coleman can push veterans Jalen Tolbert, Malik Washington and Tutu Atwell for prominent positions.

As the Dolphins' top wide receiver pick, Douglas will likely see the most opportunities to carve out a significant role. 

In college, Douglas saw a spike in production after transferring from Florida to Texas Tech. He led the Red Raiders in receiving yards (846) and touchdown receptions (seven) last season.

LB Anthony Hill, Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/George Walker IV

Tennessee Titans linebacker Anthony Hill

After recording a team-leading 164 tackles (seven for loss), four pass breakups and a sack in 16 starts last season, Cedric Gray seems like a lock to start at one of the Tennessee Titans' linebacker spots. 

Cody Barton is coming off one of his most productive seasons, logging 81 tackles (four for loss), 11 pass breakups, three interceptions and a sack. Yet Tennessee selected Anthony Hill in the second round of the draft. 

Barton will turn 30 in November. He'll need to fend off a top draft selection under a new coaching staff. It's important to note that defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh has a track record of favoring athletic inside linebackers. Hill fits the bill with a 9.93 relative athletic score.

Because of his recent production, Barton should generate trade interest close to the August 30 roster cuts deadline. The Titans may move him if he's in an even battle with Hill.

LB Josiah Trotter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Josiah Trotter

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may start a new inside linebacker tandem in the upcoming season. Last year, Lavonte David and SirVocea Dennis manned those positions. The former retired, and the latter has competition for the other spot.

The Buccaneers signed linebacker Alex Anzalone to a two-year, $17 million deal. He'll likely start. The club selected Josiah Trotter in the second round of the draft.

Of course, Trotter has pro linebacker bloodlines. He's the son of 12-year linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, though the 21-year-old made a name for himself on the collegiate level. 

Over the last two years at West Virginia and Missouri, Trotter recorded 97 tackles (17 for loss), three pass breakups, 2.5 sacks and an interception. If he's able to showcase his ability to handle coverage assignments, the rookie will push Dennis and beat out free-agent acquisition Christian Rozeboom for a starting role.

Rozeboom turned 29 in January and may be best suited for a backup role. Dennis struggled in coverage last season, allowing three touchdowns and a 122 passer rating.

CB Jermod McCoy, Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/John Locher

Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jermod McCoy

Jermod McCoy hasn't suited up for a game since December of 2024 while in college at Tennessee. He tore his ACL during a workout in January of 2025 and has been on a long road to recovery with a degenerative knee issue.

As many expected, McCoy slipped in the draft after a productive college career because of his injury. Las Vegas selected him in the fourth round.

The Raiders managed McCoy's snaps during the spring, but they didn't put him on the physically unable to perform list before training camp, which is a good sign for his availability this summer.

According to the California Post's Vincent Bonsignore, McCoy will be a full participant in training camp. He has a chance to win the No. 2 cornerback job over Darien Porter, who only played the position for one full year on the collegiate level.

As a rookie in 17 games (10 starts), Porter logged three pass breakups and allowed a passer rating of 100.9 in coverage. McCoy recorded 16 pass breakups and six interceptions before he went down with a knee injury. If he constantly makes plays on the ball in the preseason, the rookie cover man could be one of the biggest 2026 draft steals.

CB Malik Muhammad, Chicago Bears

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Chicago Bears cornerback Malik Muhammad

Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson is entering a crucial contract year. ESPN's Courtney Cronin highlighted him as one of five Chicago Bears players with the most at stake heading into training camp because he's in a battle for the No. 2 cornerback position.

Every year in the league, Stevenson has improved his consistency in coverage. Last season, he allowed one touchdown and an 86.3 passer rating. Still, the Bears selected Malik Muhammad in the fourth round of the draft.

Typically, fourth-rounders aren't in tight battles for starting jobs, but it's worth noting that the Bears' current coaching regime inherited Stevenson, and it picked Muhammad, who started for two full collegiate seasons at Texas. 

Moreover, general manager Ryan Poles may look to trade Stevenson rather than sign him to a new deal. If that's the case, the third-year cornerback could be on the way out of Chicago, and Muhammad may be his replacement. 

RB Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks

AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

Seattle Seahawks running back Jadarian Price

In one of the league's biggest training camp battles, Jadarian Price will compete for the lead role in the Seattle Seahawks backfield. Kenneth Walker departed in free agency, and Zach Charbonnet is only seven months removed from a torn ACL.

The Seahawks aren't going to rush Charbonnet back to action, which leaves opportunities for George Holani, free-agent acquisition Emanuel Wilson and Price to claim the lion's share of touches out of the backfield. 

Price played in a backup role through three collegiate terms at Notre Dame, but he still had a productive run on campus, rushing for 1,692 yards and 21 touchdowns. With his scoring production, the 5'11", 210-pound ball-carrier could be a factor near the goal line.

Nonetheless, Price's development as a pass-catcher could lead to a rise on the depth chart. He only caught 15 passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns in college. If the Seahawks allow him more pass-catching opportunities in the preseason, it could foreshadow a major role on all three downs.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.