Broncos Camp: Rookie Max Garcia standing out to Kubiak
To stand out as a rookie at OTAs is one thing, but for your head coach to commend you when the pads go on for the first time?
Denver Broncos rookie offensive lineman Max Garcia must be living the dream.
Garcia, a 4th round pick out of Florida in the 2015 NFL Draft, is competing for the starting left guard position on the Broncos with Ben Garland and Shelley Smith. He’s also a center by trade, but the Broncos have put together some nice depth at the interior line positions though it doesn’t quite seem ironed out at this point.
The rookie and former Gator is out to prove that he deserves a spot in the starting lineup, helping pave the way for the running game and protecting Peyton Manning.
“Max [Garcia] showed up to me today,” Kubiak said. “I’m going to go watch the film and I’m sure there’s a lot of this, but Max was a presence on the field today. We ran a lot of gap schemes in our teaching today, which is different for us. He really showed up as a player, but let’s remember that Max is a four-year starter at Florida. He played for about four different coordinators and played in a lot of big games. This isn’t too big for him and I think that he kind of shows that every day.”
That’s a pretty glowing endorsement for a rookie 4th round pick, but it shouldn’t cone as a huge shock if you’re reading this post. We’ve been singing Garcia’s praises since the Broncos drafted him. If he can find a way to crack the rotation as a rookie, the Broncos’ 2015 draft class will be off to a roaring start.
The fiery Garcia has a motor that doesn’t quit, and despite a phenomenal day overall from Sylvester Williams, it was Garcia holding him off in one-on-one drills.
With day one in pads now already in the books, it’s safe to say Garcia has made the kind of impression that will have the coaches giving him some extra attention, perhaps even some additional reps in the first team offense. One thing that he needs almost as much as the approval of the coaches is the trust of Peyton Manning.
We’ll see how quickly he can get there.