Training camp has a way of turning depth-chart assumptions into fresh arguments, and a handful of second-year AFC players are right in the middle of that fight. After spending their rookie seasons learning, waiting, or carving out smaller roles, these players from the 2025 class now have a real shot to climb into starting jobs in 2026.
Some are trying to beat out veterans. Others are pushing fellow young players.
A few are stuck in crowded position rooms where every snap has to be earned. Either way, the next few weeks could reshape how several AFC teams line up when the season opens.
In Tennessee, Elic Ayomanor has already made a case that he belongs near the top of the receiver rotation. The fourth-round pick led the Titans in receiving as a rookie, logging more than 600 offensive snaps - one of only five rookies at the position to do that - and finishing with more than 500 yards and four touchdowns.
Tennessee’s offseason made the picture more crowded, though, with Carnell Tate arriving as the fourth overall pick and Wan’dale Robinson getting paid like a top-30 wideout by average annual value. That leaves Ayomanor in direct competition with Calvin Ridley, who is back for his third season with the Titans after missing more than half the games last year.
Ridley was widely expected to be a cap casualty, but he stayed after accepting a pay cut. With Tate and Robinson likely locked into bigger roles, Ayomanor is making his push to stay high on the depth chart while Ridley tries to hold him off.
The Jets have a different kind of battle brewing at cornerback. Azareye’h Thomas, a third-round pick in the 2025 draft, played just 311 snaps as a rookie, and most of that work came in the second half of the season.
Now he’s chasing the CB2 job opposite Brandon Stephens, with free-agent addition Nashon Wright in the way. Wright tied for second in the league with five interceptions last season, a number that stands out for a Jets defense that didn’t record a single interception for an entire season for the first time since interceptions have been tracked.
Thomas brings the size and physical style Aaron Glenn likes, and if he’s tightened up the fluidity issues that showed up coming out of Florida State, he has a real path to winning the job.
Jacksonville’s backfield might be the most interesting committee situation in the AFC. Bhayshul Tuten, a fourth-round pick in 2025, is in the mix with fellow 2025 draftee LeQuint Allen Jr. and veteran Chris Rodriguez.
When Jacksonville drafted Tuten, the comparison to Bucky Irving was immediate because Liam Coen had just come from Tampa Bay, where Irving - also a fourth-round pick - posted over 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie. But the Jaguars appear set on a rotation.
At camp, the setup has Tuten starting drives, Allen handling all third downs, and Rodriguez working inside the 10-yard line. Tuten has the explosiveness to be the centerpiece, but if he wants to become more than a part-time piece, he’ll have to show he can handle the specialty work his teammates already own.
The Raiders are sorting through a very different kind of competition up front. Caleb Rogers, a third-round pick last year, is trying to turn his late-season run into a full-time role.
Las Vegas has spent the offseason reshaping its offensive line, signing Tyler Linderbaum to a record-high contract in free agency and adding Spencer Burford from the 49ers. With Linderbaum and both tackles in place, the two guard spots are now down to Rogers, Burford, and Jackson Powers-Johnson.
Rogers got into the final six games last season, and the hope in Las Vegas is that he can build on that stretch and claim a starting job.
Then there’s Travis Hunter, who is still one of the most unusual players in the league even after a rocky start to his NFL career. In 2025, he appeared in just seven games and split his snaps between offense and defense, roughly two-thirds on offense and one-third on defense.
This season, Jacksonville is leaning into the defensive side of his game. With Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, and Jakobi Meyers taking up the receiver snaps, Hunter is fitting in with the first team on defense, where he’s the frontrunner for one of the outside corner spots across from Montaric Brown.
Jourdan Lewis is set in the slot, and the main challenge to Hunter there is fourth-round pick Jarrian Jones. Offensively, the path is much narrower, and Hunter’s role could be limited by the crowded receiver room.
He and Thomas Jr. both had issues with the offense last year, but if Hunter settles into Liam Coen’s system, his athleticism and big-play ability still give him a chance to become a major factor.
In Other News...
Trevor Lawrences Saints Week Focus Says A Lot About Jaguars Plans
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For Lawrence, the appeal is obvious: those practices can feel closer to game speed without the same exposure that comes with preseason action. For the Jaguars, the goal is just as clear, reducing injury risk while still giving the offense enough work to sharpen timing and find its rhythm before the games count for real. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Camp Is Starting To Reveal A Very Different Offensive Plan
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Travis Hunter is adding another layer to the picture by practicing extensively at both wide receiver and cornerback, which makes Jacksonvilles personnel usage even more interesting to track. The setup points to an offense that may lean on flexibility and matchup-driven usage more than fixed roles, especially in passing situations and on early downs. For a team still sorting out who will be where when the season opens, camp has already made one thing clear: the Jaguars are not building this group in a conventional way. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Give Grant Udinski A Bigger Stage In Preseason Opener
Grant Udinski is getting a meaningful early test in Jacksonville, and it comes before the games start counting. The Jaguars offensive coordinator will handle full play-calling duties in the preseason opener against the Saints on Aug. 15, giving him a bigger stage as he continues to settle into a larger role with the team. He has already done it once, having called plays in Jacksonvilles final preseason game last season, but this opportunity arrives with a little more attention attached after a busy offseason that included head coaching interviews.
The timing makes it even more interesting for the Jaguars, who will also spend Aug. 13 in a joint practice with New Orleans before the exhibition game. Those two days should offer a cleaner look at how the offense functions with Udinski directing things from the sideline and how much of the system is ready for live reps. For a coordinator who had chances to leave but opted to stay in Jacksonville, the first preseason game is more than routine work. It is a chance to show what the Jaguars can expect when the offense is put in his hands. [Read more 🡒]