Every AFC Team’s Biggest Roster Hole With Training Camp Approaching

Two months out from the 2026 NFL Kickoff Game between the Patriots and Seahawks, no AFC roster is finished. According to NFL.com analyst Matt Okada, every one of the conference’s 16 teams still has at least one glaring hole that free agency, the draft, and OTAs didn’t fix. Some are cosmetic. A few could decide playoff seeding in January.

Here’s where each AFC roster is still exposed heading into camp.

AFC East: Trench Work and a Receiver Room Rebuilt From Scratch

Buffalo’s issue sits at off-ball linebacker. Starters Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams combined for the bulk of defensive snaps in 2025 without doing much with them, and Okada notes Buffalo allowed the fifth-most rushing yards in the league last season. Williams also dealt with an undisclosed injury during minicamp. Fourth-round rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr isn’t likely to start right away, which leaves the door open for a reunion with free agent Matt Milano or Shaq Thompson.

Miami’s situation is more dire. After trading away Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins are leaning on Jalen Tolbert, Malik Washington and Tutu Atwell — a group Okada calls one of the thinnest veteran cores at the position in recent memory. Third-round rookies Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas offer long-term hope, not immediate answers.

New England’s problem has been circled for months: edge rusher. Beyond second-round pick Gabe Jacas and seven-year veteran Dre’Mont Jones, the cupboard is bare — and Jacas himself remains unsigned. Patriots Wire reported Jacas hadn’t signed as of July 14, and the Boston Globe reported Wednesday that he’s yet to practice with the team at all, having spent the spring away from Gillette Stadium while recovering from an offseason knee procedure. Rookies are due to report July 22, with practices starting July 24 — dates that now double as a deadline for New England’s pass rush to take shape.

The Jets, by contrast, had one of the more productive offseasons in the conference — just not on the interior offensive line. New York lost guards Alijah Vera-Tucker and John Simpson in free agency, and center Josh Myers struggled after signing last year. Only Dylan Parham was added up front, leaving center and left guard as open questions.

AFC North: Replacing a Pro Bowler, Fixing a Historic Sore Spot

Baltimore’s hole has a name attached to it: Tyler Linderbaum, who left for Las Vegas in free agency. Replacements Danny Pinter and Jovaughn Gwyn are combining for roughly a seventh of Linderbaum’s annual value at center, a gap Okada frames as a likely season-long concern even if 2025 backup Corey Bullock — currently dealing with his own injury — wins the job.

Cincinnati upgraded at free safety by signing Bryan Cook, but strong safety remains unresolved behind Jordan Battle, who struggled in 2025. The Bengals have finished among the league’s eight worst total defenses three years running and were particularly exposed against tight ends last season.

Cleveland’s answer is the one every Browns fan already knows: quarterback. Outside of Baker Mayfield’s rookie deal, Cleveland has started a different Week 1 passer nearly every year since 2011. This summer’s competition pits Deshaun Watson against Shedeur Sanders, the team’s leading passer in 2025, with Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green also in the mix.

Pittsburgh’s remaining weak spot is right guard, where Mason McCormick is reportedly sliding to left guard to replace Isaac Seumalo, who signed with Arizona. Free-agent addition Brock Hoffman, 2023 seventh-rounder Spencer Anderson and rookie Gennings Dunker are competing for the job — one that comes with the added weight of protecting 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers.

AFC South: Backfields in Flux

Houston’s concern is more nitpick than crisis. The Texans added David Montgomery to pair with Woody Marks, but both ranked below the league-average explosive run rate last season, raising questions about whether the ground game will generate the same juice Montgomery had running behind Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit.

Indianapolis has a real hole at receiver after trading Michael Pittman Jr. to Pittsburgh. Alec Pierce, signed to a $114 million deal, is now the clear No. 1, with slot specialist Josh Downs limited by his 5-foot-9 frame to that one role. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and seventh-round pick Deion Burks are depth, not Pittman replacements.

Jacksonville must replace Travis Etienne’s production by committee. Bhayshul Tuten, LeQuint Allen and Chris Rodriguez Jr. split speed, pass-catching and short-yardage duties, but none brings Etienne’s three-year run of 250-plus touches and 1,300-plus yards.

Tennessee’s issue is safety, where veteran Amani Hooker and 2025 rookie Kevin Winston Jr. are penciled in as starters after a secondary that allowed the league’s highest passer rating on downfield throws in 2025. Free-agent addition Tony Adams doesn’t move that needle much.

AFC West: Receiver Rooms Under the Microscope

Denver’s tight end room was quiet all offseason after Evan Engram posted just 461 yards and one touchdown in 2025, part of a group that finished with the NFL’s seventh-fewest receiving yards at the position. Adam Trautman remains primarily a blocker.

Kansas City’s deepest need is receiver. Rashee Rice is productive when healthy but has an availability question mark, Xavier Worthy hasn’t found consistent production beyond occasional big plays, and the depth chart thins out fast after that — with 36-year-old Travis Kelce no longer able to carry the load the way he once did.

Las Vegas doesn’t have a true X receiver. Jalen Nailor, Tre Tucker and Jack Bech all offer pieces, but none is a true No. 1, pushing outsized receiving responsibility onto tight end Brock Bowers. Free agent Stefon Diggs — who caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards in New England last season — is a name worth watching for both Las Vegas and Indianapolis.

The Chargers have added bodies at guard — Trevor Penning via trade, Cole Strange in free agency, second-rounder Jake Slaughter in the draft — but not clear answers. Penning struggled after arriving in November, Strange hasn’t matched his first-round pedigree, and Slaughter was a Day 2 pick who fell outside most top-150 boards. The return of tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater should help mask the interior questions, but guard remains the line’s weak link.

Why It Matters Heading Into Camp

None of these holes are disqualifying on their own — teams like Houston and Pittsburgh are debating fine margins, not roster-wide deficiencies. But for teams like Miami, Cleveland and New England, the gaps identified here touch the core of what determines wins: quarterback play, pass rush and skill-position talent. With free agency mostly picked over, in-house competition and late-summer trades are the only levers left before Week 1.