As training camp nears, several starting positions seem to be open for competition, with one of them being at left guard. For now, the left guard spot seems to be veteran Ted Larsen’s to lose. The Miami Dolphins signed Larsen this offseason to provide depth to their interior offensive line, but by no means is he a game changer.

Larsen lost his starting job in 2016 due to the arrival of Josh Sitton. However, he found himself starting eight games for the Bears due to injury. Although abbreviated, Larsen enjoyed his best campaign since 2012, where he graded out at 72.3, per Pro Football Focus.

Of the current starting guards, Jermon Bushrod may be the most likely to lose his starting spot at right guard to rookie fifth-round draft pick Isaac Asiata. Bushrod moved from left tackle to right guard last season and it showed as he graded out an abysmal 74th of 76 among guards in run blocking.

Dolphins head coach Adam Gase has demonstrated that he does not shy away from giving young players opportunity. So should Bushrod struggle, it may not be long before Gase gives Asiata an opportunity.

Asiata is a versatile prospect for the Dolphins who can line up on either side of the interior and play center. Asiata offers much more upside than Larsen and Bushrod, who are both on the wrong side of 30. The rookie is really good in the running game with an explosive first step and would be an instant upgrade over Bushrod in that respect.

The emergence of running back, Jay Ajayi has led to the Dolphins adding emphasis on run blocking. While Ajayi rushed for 1,272 yards last season, the Dolphins ranked in the bottom half of the league in terms of yards before contact, meaning there’s room for improvement.

Miami signed tight end Anthony Fasano this offseason, who according to Pro Football Focus, graded out as the top run-blocking tight end in all of football. Fasano, along with a healthy Mike Pouncey and more experienced Laremy Tunsil, provides a bright outlook for the running game even if Asiata does not win the job.

For any rookie, especially offensive linemen, there is a bit of a learning curve and Asiata isn’t any exception. The Dolphins threw Asiata to the wolves at the beginning of OTA’s lining him up across from All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. As expected Asiata struggled, but fortunately for the Dolphins, Asiata will not line up across from Suh every Sunday.

With training camp on the horizon, there is plenty to be excited about for Dolphins fans, and plenty of questions to be answered. Whether Gase decides to go with the rookie, Asiata or the tandem of veterans in Larsen and Bushrod will likely depend more on the underperformance of the latter two rather than the play of the fifth-round pick. But expect Asiata to be given every opportunity should one of the veteran guards struggle.