Second training camp is where a lot of young NFL players stop looking like hopefuls and start looking like answers. The first year is about surviving the adjustment. Year two is where the league starts to slow down, the playbook feels less foreign, and a player finally gets a real shot to force his way into the lineup.
That’s the stage for a handful of second-year NFC players this summer, with jobs there for the taking if they can win the right battles.
In Dallas, Shavon Revel has a chance to jump straight into a major role at cornerback. The Cowboys took the ECU product in the third round in 2025 after a knee injury pushed him down the board despite borderline first-round talent.
He didn’t get into the lineup until November, but when he did, the size and speed showed up. Revel has the tools to be a playmaker, and after a healthy offseason getting more comfortable with the defense, he could make a real leap.
His competition is veteran Cobie Durant, who is entering his fifth NFL season after years of playing meaningful snaps for the Rams. Durant has already shown he can make plays and has been a full-time starter the last two seasons.
He’d be a steady option as a fifth starter on the defense in 2026, but if Revel is healthy and ready, the upside could tilt this battle in his favor.
Carolina has a different kind of fight brewing on the edge. The Panthers used the 2025 draft to add Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen, but Scourton’s torn ACL on the first day of camp changed the picture fast.
Now Umanmielen is the one under the spotlight, with a chance to help push the defense forward. At 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds, he brings a bendy, quick-twitch skill set that popped on Ole Miss tape.
The issue is the run game, where coach Canales has already pointed out the need for improvement. Veteran Patrick Jones II, who carries about 20 more pounds, has the kind of build that can help him hold up better against the run.
If Umanmielen can close that gap, his pass-rush juice could earn him more snaps.
Washington’s cornerback room has been reshaped this offseason, and that puts Trey Amos right in the middle of the mix. The second-year defensive back was activated off the PUP list last Friday and practiced Monday, but he left early after suffering some kind of ankle injury.
If that doesn’t linger, he still has work to do. Amik Robertson appears to have one outside corner job locked down, Mike Sainristil can line up outside or in the slot, and Rasul Douglas was added in July and could also factor in.
Washington wants Amos outside, but availability will be the first test. If he gets back healthy, Sainristil is the toughest name he has to beat out.
Minnesota has two second-year players trying to hold off some serious competition. On the defensive line, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins showed enough as a rookie to matter, playing 250 snaps and backing up Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
With both veterans gone this spring, it looked like he was set to step forward next to Jalen Redmond. Then the Vikings drafted Caleb Banks in the first round and Domonique Orange in the third, which changed the depth chart fast.
Ingram-Dawkins is now battling Banks, Orange and third-year lineman Levi Drake Rodriguez for playing time, though the good news is that all of them are on rookie deals and a rotation should be there for the taking.
The Vikings also have a wide receiver fight worth watching. Tai Felton looked like he was lining up for a bigger role when Jalen Nailor left for the Las Vegas Raiders, opening the door for Felton to slide into the No. 3 job.
Then Minnesota signed Jauan Jennings later in the summer, and Felton had to keep competing for snaps. Felton brings real traits to the table: he runs routes with control, changes speed well, is strong at the catch point and can do enough after the catch to matter.
Jennings could become an important part of the offense, or he could simply be a veteran presence who doesn’t produce much. Felton’s training camp could go a long way toward deciding which version of that story plays out.
In Other News...
Panthers Hall Of Fame Game Buzz Left Out One Key Truth
The Hall of Fame preseason matchup between the Panthers and Cardinals drew a notable audience for a summer exhibition, averaging 6.99 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, according to NBC Sports. For a game with little at stake on the field, that is still a strong showing and one that comfortably outpaced some of the bigger broadcasts from MLB and the NHL, a reminder that the NFL remains a ratings anchor even in August.
Still, the buzz around the telecast carried a small but important asterisk. Some reports framed it as the biggest Hall of Fame Game audience since 2017, and that part is true for NBCs window, but the broader picture is a little different. The number did not top the 2021 game on Fox, so the Panthers spotlight came with a ratings caveat even as it underscored just how much attention the league can command before the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fortner Just Sent A Message At Panthers Camp
Training camp always has a way of sharpening the edges, and this latest Panthers practice brought a little more heat than usual when the line of scrimmage got chippy. Luke Fortner, who recently signed a one-year deal after Carolina lost its previous starting center, Cade Mays, found himself in the middle of the kind of dust-up that can reveal as much about a teams temperament as any drill or install period.
Head coach Dave Canales leaned into the moment afterward, praising Fortners loyalty and reminding the team that football comes with a physical edge, especially in camp when bodies are flying and emotions rise fast. For Carolina, the incident was less about the scuffle itself than what it said about a newcomer trying to establish himself in a crowded, demanding environment, with the response to the moment still hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Zakee Wheatley May Have Just Changed Carolinas Safety Battle
A rookie safety trying to make noise in August often has to do it in every phase, and Zakee Wheatley did exactly that against the Cardinals. Starting in his first preseason game, he flashed as both a run defender and in coverage, showing up with the kind of active, physical effort that coaches notice quickly in a crowded defensive back room. With injuries affecting other Panthers players, the opening at safety has been a real storyline through camp, and Wheatleys debut at least gave Carolina another name to think about.
What makes the performance stand out is how complete it looked for a player still trying to carve out a role. Pro Football Focus gave Wheatley strong marks on both run and pass work, and the early comparison point inside the room is veteran Nick Scott, whose own value has been tied to making disruptive plays. The Panthers still have time to sort out the battle, but Wheatleys first step was the kind that can change the conversation fast. [Read more 🡒]