2026 IDP Training Camp Takeaways: Risers, Position Battles, & Injuries to Watch

Updated August 7, 2026

Training camp reports can be tricky to evaluate from a fantasy perspective. Every day brings a new batch of players who are “standing out” or “turning heads,” but most of that ultimately doesn’t mean much.

For IDP purposes, I’m much more interested in who is working with the starters, how players are being deployed, which position battles are taking shape and which injuries or availability issues are changing opportunity. With that in mind, here are the developments from around the league that have caught my attention so far and could impact my rankings.

Biggest IDP Risers

Kaleb Elarms-Orr is making a strong push for Buffalo’s LB2 job

One of the more interesting developments of camp has been fourth-round rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr working his way into Buffalo’s starting linebacker conversation.

Elarms-Orr has received first-team reps and drawn positive reviews for his instincts, communication and physicality. He also spent additional time in Buffalo this summer studying film with new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. Meanwhile, presumed starter Dorian Williams was eased back into practice after dealing with an injury during the spring.

Terrel Bernard remains the clear LB1, but the second spot is far less settled than it appeared entering camp. Elarms-Orr was already one of my favorite under-the-radar rookie linebackers, and his early usage only strengthens the case.

Jalyx Hunt looks ready to take another step

The Eagles’ EDGE room looked crowded heading into camp, but Jalyx Hunt continues to make a strong case for a substantial role.

Hunt produced 6.5 sacks last season in a part-time role, and the early camp reports have been overwhelmingly positive. He has consistently been mentioned among Philadelphia’s defensive standouts and looks like a legitimate breakout candidate.

Jonathan Greenard opening camp on PUP with a pectoral strain has also created additional opportunities. There’s still competition for snaps with Greenard, Nolan Smith and others, but Hunt’s combination of 2025 efficiency and continued camp momentum is difficult to ignore.

Antoine Winfield Jr. may be getting his fantasy-friendly role back

Antoine Winfield Jr. is one of the more established names on this list, but his usage may be just as important as any of the younger players standing out in camp.

Tampa Bay used Winfield predominantly in a deep safety role season, which limited many of the opportunities that previously made him such a valuable fantasy safety. His best IDP seasons have come when he’s been allowed to move around the formation, attack downhill, blitz, and create plays around the line of scrimmage.

Early indications this summer suggest Tampa wants to get back to that approach. Winfield has been lining up in different areas of the defense, and Todd Bowles has acknowledged the need to put him in better positions to make plays rather than consistently using him as the last line of defense.

The added versatility in Tampa’s secondary should help. Players such as Tykee Smith, Jacob Parrish, and rookie Keionte Scott give Bowles more flexibility to move Winfield without leaving another obvious hole behind him.

Sonny Styles looks difficult to keep off the field

Washington used the seventh overall pick on Sonny Styles, so expectations were already high. Early camp reports are doing nothing to temper them.

Styles has been one of the more noticeable defenders during padded practices while Washington sorts through a versatile linebacker group that also includes Frankie Luvu and Leo Chenal.

Styles wore the green dot during portions of the offseason program, but Luvu has been handling the communication duties during recent camp practices. I don’t necessarily view that as bad news for Styles. It reinforces Luvu’s snap security while potentially allowing Washington to move the rookie around more freely.

Cashius Howell is forcing his way into Cincinnati’s EDGE rotation

Second-round rookie Cashius Howell has been one of Cincinnati’s more impressive defenders through the early portion of camp.

Howell initially made noise against reserve offensive linemen but has since earned opportunities with the starters and made the most of them. He’s also benefited from Shemar Stewart missing time with a knee injury.

The bigger question isn’t whether Howell can rush the passer — it’s whether he can earn enough snaps in a crowded Bengals rotation to become a consistent fantasy option.

Position Battles That Could Create IDP Value

Miami’s LB2 situation is more complicated than it looks

The Dolphins may have one of the most important linebacker situations in IDP outside of the locked-in Jordyn Brooks.

Tyrel Dodson enters as the incumbent after producing 129 tackles, five sacks, and 10 tackles for loss last season. His experience and familiarity give him the early advantage.

But Miami didn’t use the 43rd overall pick on Jacob Rodriguez to keep him on the sideline. Rodriguez was one of the most productive linebackers in college football last season and has the instincts, takeaway ability, and football IQ to challenge Dodson immediately.

Then there’s fourth-round rookie Kyle Louis, which is what makes this particularly interesting for fantasy. Miami has discussed using Louis as a coverage specialist and “big nickel” defender, matching him against tight ends and running backs in certain sub packages.

That means Dodson or Rodriguez could technically win the starting job and still lose valuable passing-down snaps. Miami has also discussed three-linebacker packages, so this may not be a clean winner-take-all competition.

Josiah Trotter is making Tampa’s Mike linebacker competition interesting

Tampa Bay completely reshaped the middle of its defense following Lavonte David’s retirement.

Alex Anzalone is expected to handle the Mo/weakside role. The more interesting fantasy competition is at Mike, where second-round rookie Josiah Trotter is battling Christian Rozeboom and SirVocea Dennis.

Trotter opened camp working with the first-team defense next to Anzalone and has drawn praise for his intelligence, physicality, and understanding of the scheme. He’s also been spotted wearing the green dot during camp, a particularly interesting development considering he handled those responsibilities in college.

That doesn’t mean the job is already his. Rozeboom is coming off a 122-tackle season and brings significantly more NFL experience, while Dennis has previous starting experience in Tampa’s defense.

The key for Trotter will be passing downs. Tampa already knows he can play downhill, blitz, and defend the run. If the coaching staff trusts him enough in coverage to keep him on the field in nickel, the fantasy ceiling rises quickly.

Detroit’s linebacker injuries have opened the door for Devin White

Jack Campbell remains the centerpiece of Detroit’s linebacker room and one of the safer every-down linebackers in IDP. The situation around him has become much more interesting.

Malcolm Rodriguez entered camp as the favorite for the WILL role after taking the majority of first-team work there during the offseason. Rookie Jimmy Rolder was expected to provide competition, but a hamstring injury is expected to keep him sidelined for several weeks.

Detroit responded by signing veteran Devin White, who piled up a career-high 174 tackles for Las Vegas last season.

Initially, I viewed White mostly as veteran depth. That changed somewhat when Rodriguez left practice early with an ankle injury. The early indications are that the injury isn’t considered serious, but Rodriguez’s absence has created additional first-team opportunities for White.

White’s tackle total from last year will understandably attract fantasy attention, but I’m not automatically assuming he’s about to become an every-down starter. His inconsistencies in coverage and assignment football are part of the reason he remained available this late into the offseason.

The bigger question is how Detroit deploys the linebacker next to Campbell. Derrick Barnes still factors heavily into the front seven, particularly in base personnel, while the WILL job becomes significantly more valuable if that player remains on the field when Detroit goes nickel.

Indianapolis still offers major linebacker upside — but CJ Allen’s health matters

Few teams entered camp with more opportunity available at linebacker than Indianapolis, where both starting jobs have been described as open competitions.

Second-round rookie CJ Allen entered camp with the inside track at MIKE but opened on Active/PUP after tweaking his calf. He was activated shortly thereafter and immediately stepped into first-team work, which was encouraging.

Allen has also handled green-dot responsibilities, although veteran safety Cam Bynum has received communication work as well. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has explained that he likes having multiple options to relay calls and that Bynum’s involvement should not be interpreted as the responsibility being taken away from Allen.

Allen has since dealt with another soft-tissue issue during camp, this time a hamstring injury. That doesn’t erase the encouraging first-team usage, but for a rookie expected to immediately command the middle of a new NFL defense, repeated missed practice time matters even if neither injury ultimately proves significant.

At WILL, veteran Akeem Davis-Gaither is competing with a group that includes fourth-round rookie Bryce Boettcher. Allen remains the player I want most, while Boettcher is the sleeper if he can push past Davis-Gaither.

Anthony Hill Jr. is pushing for an immediate role in Tennessee

Cedric Gray is coming off a 160-tackle season and remains the safest Titans linebacker. The more interesting question is who plays alongside him in Tennessee’s new Robert Saleh defense.

Veteran Cody Barton entered the offseason as the logical favorite, but second-round rookie Anthony Hill Jr. has been picking up the defense quickly and already flashed his coverage ability during offseason work.

Hill’s profile is especially intriguing for IDP because he brings legitimate pass-rush upside in addition to traditional off-ball linebacker ability. The real question isn’t who technically starts in base — it’s who stays next to Gray when Tennessee gets into its more common sub packages.

Seattle’s LB2 situation isn’t as settled as it looked

Drake Thomas entered camp with the inside track to remain the starter next to Ernest Jones after taking the job from Tyrice Knight last season. Knight apparently isn’t going away.

Tyrice Knight has continued pushing for playing time and has flashed both in coverage and as a pressure player.

Thomas may still win the job, but this is exactly the type of situation that matters in IDP. We don’t want to draft a presumed 90% snap linebacker only to discover in September that he’s sharing the field. Ernest Jones remains the linebacker I feel best about in Seattle.

Injuries & Availability Issues Impacting My Rankings

Jalon Walker is out for the season

Jalon Walker suffered a torn ACL during Falcons practice and will miss the 2026 season after showing promise as a rookie and appearing poised for an expanded role in Year 2.

Vita Vea’s trade request creates an unusual rankings problem

Vita Vea requested a trade after extension talks with Tampa Bay stalled. He reported to camp but has yet to fully participate while dealing with a reported back issue.

Vea’s representatives have publicly suggested that a trade could ultimately be the resolution, while Buccaneers GM Jason Licht has been equally clear that Tampa Bay currently has no plans to move him.

For fantasy purposes, the landing spot would matter. Vea has historically been a solid option in DT-required formats, but his snap volume and pass-rush opportunities could change depending on where he plays.

Micah Parsons needs a significant redraft discount

Micah Parsons remains one of the league’s premier defensive players, but Green Bay expects him to begin the regular season on PUP as he continues working back from last year’s ACL injury.

If Parsons moves to Reserve/PUP at roster cutdowns, he’ll be required to miss at least the first four games. This isn’t a talent downgrade, he’s still capable of elite DL production whenever he’s healthy, but potentially missing roughly a quarter or more of the fantasy regular season is difficult to ignore.

Mykel Williams remains a risky early-season projection

Mykel Williams remains on Active/PUP while working back from the ACL tear he suffered last November.

San Francisco has not ruled him out for Week 1, and John Lynch has said Williams is doing everything possible to be ready. However, recent reports stated that he’s unlikely to be ready for the season opener.

Coby Bryant’s knee injury creates early-season uncertainty

The Bears signed Coby Bryant to play a significant role next to first-round rookie Dillon Thieneman, but Bryant suffered a hyperextended knee, bone bruise, and small fracture during camp.

His absence makes an immediate full-time role for Thieneman even more certain.

Brian Branch could miss multiple games, while Kerby Joseph remains a concern

Detroit has one of the league’s better safety tandems when Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are healthy, but there’s meaningful uncertainty surrounding both players entering the season.

Branch is working back from the torn Achilles he suffered in December and remains on Active/PUP. His rehab appears to be progressing well, and Dan Campbell has indicated Branch could potentially return to practice in late training camp or early September. That’s encouraging, but it still leaves his Week 1 availability very much in question.

There’s also a more significant downside scenario. Detroit has acknowledged that Branch could begin the regular season on Reserve/PUP. If that happens, he would be required to miss at least the first four games. Even if he avoids PUP, I’d expect the Lions to be cautious with his workload coming off such a significant injury.

Joseph is working back from the knee problem that limited him to just six games last season and remains another player whose early-season availability needs to be monitored closely.

Other Camp Notes Worth Monitoring

What I’m Watching Next

The next couple of weeks should give us much more meaningful information than the opening stretch of camp. Preseason games will tell us which linebackers are actually staying on the field in passing situations, which safeties are consistently playing closer to the line of scrimmage, and which EDGE “breakouts” are receiving enough snaps to matter.

The linebacker situations in Miami, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Buffalo, and Seattle are particularly important.

Miami may be the most complicated because we’re not simply trying to determine who starts – we need to know who actually stays on the field when the Dolphins go to sub packages. Tampa is similar: if Trotter secures the Mike job but comes off the field in obvious passing situations, his fantasy ceiling looks very different than it would with a true three-down role.

Detroit now warrants close attention as well. Rodriguez’s ankle injury may ultimately prove minor, but every missed practice gives Devin White additional opportunities to make the WILL competition more interesting.

I’m also watching the deployment of rookies such as Sonny Styles, Anthony Hill Jr., Jacob Rodriguez, Josiah Trotter, and Jaishawn Barham. All have either the versatility or immediate opportunity to make meaningful moves in the rankings before Week 1.

For now, the biggest takeaway is that several potentially valuable IDP roles are far less settled than they appeared a month ago. That’s exactly why I try not to lock the rankings in too tightly until we get through training camp and the first part of the preseason.