The Biggest Winners and Losers from NFL Training Camps

NFL training camps are wrapping up, and the start of the regular season is less than two weeks away, making this a perfect time to look back at some of the biggest winners and losers of training camp.

Some players have burst onto the scene or pushed themselves to the edge of a starting gig. Others have slid down depth charts, struggled to meet expectations or otherwise fallen into less-than-ideal situations. Simply put, training camp has not been equally kind to everyone.

Which players have fared the best and worst in camp this season? Let's take a look.

The Cincinnati Bengals made it clear early on that rookie quarterback Joe Burrow was going to be their Week 1 starter. Shortly after drafting Burrow with the first overall pick, they released longtime starter Andy Dalton.

However, Burrow should still consider himself a training camp winner for taking hold of the offense and setting himself up as a potentially successful Week 1 starter.

"He's just been impressive," head coach Zac Taylor told reporters. "He's what we expected when we took him No. 1 overall. He hasn't disappointed one day he's been out there."

While Burrow may experience growing pains, he appears as ready as one could hope for the challenge of going from undefeated LSU to the 2-14 Bengals.

Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy insists he isn't announcing a starting quarterback ahead of Week 1.

"That won't be happening before that game," he told the media Saturday.

Offseason acquisition Nick Foles still has a shot at claiming the job. However, he has not been able to separate himself from incumbent Mitchell Trubisky. He has a small lead in the competition but not an overwhelming one, according to Adam Hoge of NBC Sports Chicago.

"At this point, I have a slight edge in Foles' direction based on the overall body of work we have seen, but Trubisky's performance Saturday at Soldier Field could carry some extra weight," Hoge wrote. "At the very least, it showed that this thing is far from decided yet."

Even if Foles does win the job, he isn't likely to have a long leash. This isn't an ideal position for a guy who has failed to establish himself as a franchise quarterback away from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has an opportunity to be the team's every-down back in 2020. This is due to both Damien Williams' decision to opt out of the 2020 season and Edwards-Helaire's performances in camp.

NBC Sports' Peter King raved about the LSU product and his heavy training-camp workload.

"This is practice, scripted from start to finish; maybe this is two days of getting timing down with Edwards-Helaire," King wrote. "But I doubt it's just that. I say he'll be a stud, a prime candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year."

Edwards-Helaire has done little to suggest he can't be every bit as productive as Kareem Hunt was for the Chiefs three seasons ago. As a rookie in 2017, Hunt led the NFL with 1,327 rushing yards while adding 455 receiving yards and scoring 11 total touchdowns. Edwards-Helaire could post similar numbers.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has a significant injury history, which likely contributed to the team's decision to draft Jalen Hurts in the second round in April.

Unfortunately, he is once again injured. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Wentz is day-to-day with a soft-tissue injury. 

However, this isn't isn't the main concern for him.

More problematic for Wentz is the fact that second-year tackle Andre Dillard is set to miss the 2020 season after tearing his biceps during practice, and another one of his wide receivers is also injured. Per Rapoport, rookie first-round pick Jalen Reagor could miss "at least a couple of weeks" with a shoulder injury. 

While Wentz's injury shouldn't keep him out of Week 1, he'll be missing several projected starters, as wideout Alshon Jeffery also remains on the PUP list. The fifth-year quarterback may get off to a slow start as a result.

While Reagor may not make an immediate impact as a rookie, Baltimore Ravens rookie running back J.K. Dobbins should at least get the opportunity to do so. While he is in a crowded backfield—one that features Pro Bowler Mark Ingram II and Gus Edwards—Dobbins has made a strong case for himself in camp.

"J.K., I've been really impressed with," running backs coach Matt Weiss told reporters. "I think every day, his athleticism, his physicality, his vision—all the things that make a great running back—show up on the field."

While Ingram is under contract through 2021, Dobbins could replace him as the team's primary ball-carrier long before then. He's given himself a head start in training camp, and the transition could come at some point this season.

Los Angeles Rams second-year back Darrell Henderson may have fallen out of the competition to replace Todd Gurley as the team's primary ball-carrier. The 2019 third-round pick suffered a hamstring injury that may keep him sidelined into the regular season.

"We'll be hopeful that he'll end up being able to get back and it won't affect his availability for the Dallas game," head coach Sean McVay told the media.

This injury setback, along with some building buzz for rookie running back Cam Akers, is a big problem for Henderson, as the Rams would prefer to have an every-down back leading the charge.

"Obviously, I think you'd prefer to have a clear-cut guy to take the majority of reps and having certain guys that have a role in that offense," running backs coach Thomas Brown told reporters.

If Henderson regains a legitimate shot at that workhorse role, it's now likely going to happen in the regular season.

The New England Patriots aren't just going to hand Cam Newton their starting quarterback job. However, the 2015 MVP appears to have the inside track for a couple of reasons. The first is that he appears to be as healthy as he has been in recent years.

"Healthy. Looks that way, at least," Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston wrote. "What I'd be interested to see is if the Patriots take advantage of what look like fresh legs more often than we've seen in training camp practices."

The other reason is that fellow quarterback competitor Jarrett Stidham has dealt with a leg injury that has put him behind in the race for the starting job. It's likely Newton's job to lose.

"When you see Cam Newton get 40 snaps in 11-on-11 periods—and they had about 65 or so, and pretty much every other snap went to Brian Hoyer—that's significant," Perry noted on Tom Curran's Patriots Talk Podcast (h/t Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston).

This should be seen as a huge win for a quarterback who was still looking for work two months ago.

We're not here to suggest Minnesota Vikings rookie wideout Justin Jefferson won't have an impressive rookie season. He's flashed plenty of physical ability in camp and is playing with a quarterback in Kirk Cousins who passed for 26 touchdowns and just six interceptions last season.

However, Jefferson theoretically had an opportunity to replace the departed Stefon Diggs as Cousins' top target. Instead, it appears he will be the third receiver behind Adam Thielen and Olabisi Johnson.

"While Jefferson is capable of spectacular plays, he hasn't shined against the second-team defense quite as much as you'd expect," The Athletic's Chad Graff wrote. "His future is still plenty bright. But it's not a given that he's the No. 2 wide receiver Week 1."

In a run-oriented offense that features plenty of tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr. in the passing game, Jefferson might not play a prominent role out of the gate.