Tim Twentyman

The Detroit Lions will head into training camp in July with a little uncertainty upfront along their offensive line with an open competition slated for both of their starting guard spots.

"Competition brings out the best of a unit," Lions offensive line coach and run game coordinator Hank Fraley said this week. "It will weed out the weak, too, the guys that just can't keep up. Talking with all our guys this year, there's a lot of opportunity to compete."

The three locks upfront for the Lions are left tackleTaylor Decker, centerFrank Ragnowand right tacklePenei Sewell. Between those three, there were three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro nods (Sewell and Ragnow) last season.

Who enters the regular season starting at left and right guard? That's yet to be determined.

VeteranGraham Glasgowand second-year offensive linemanChristian Mahoganyare the favorites after Glasgow started 16 games at left guard last year and Mahogany played in seven games with one start as a rookie and looked pretty good in the process.

Detroit drafted interior offensive lineman Tate Ratledge in the second round and Miles Frazier in the fifth. They also return veterans Kayode Awosika and Netane Muti and have floated the idea of cross-training Giovanni Manu at guard as well.

Ratledge, in particular, seems like a great fit in Detroit, and Lions general manager Brad Holmes moved up in the second round to secure his services.

Fraley said there were times over his 11-year NFL playing career where the team drafted a young player at his position or brought in veteran competition. He said the message to the players in his room this offseason was to embrace the competition, and he thinks the competition could ultimately make them a better unit overall.

"It's just, 'OK, I'm coming in and working hard and do what I can do and take care of what I can take care of.' It's only normally going to make you a better player. It's going to make those other guys around you better," Fraley said. "We're going to breed competition, and I think you're going to see the best from all these young men moving forward."

It should be fun to watch the different combinations upfront once the pads come on in training camp and the competition really begins to find the best combination of five players up front.