An in-Depth Look at the Denver Broncos' Most Intriguing Selection, Max Garcia

The Denver Broncos came away from the 2015 NFL draft with several interesting players. The team traded up to get troubled yet talented defensive end Shane Ray before following that pick up with an offensive tackle and a tight end, both of whom are versatile athletes.

That was the theme for the Broncos in this draft. Find versatile athletes who have played more than one position at a high level and perhaps have even excelled in other sports. Players who possess these qualities—along with a bit of a mean streak—were on the Broncos' radar.

Max Garcia, a center from Florida the Broncos drafted in the fourth round, is a player who fits into each of these categories. For those reasons, he is perhaps the most intriguing player Denver selected in the three-day event.

Measurements

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 309 lbs

Arm Length: 33 1/8"

Hands: 10 1/4"

Garcia is a big center with strong hands. In fact, his hands are one of his best tools on the field. Head coach Gary Kubiak usually prefers a sleeker player at the center position. Do not be fooled by Garcia's size. He will catch defenders who overlook him off guard, as he is highly athletic for the position.

Background

Garcia was born in Norcross, Georgia, and was recruited to play football at Maryland. But football wasn't the only sport where Garcia excelled in high school. He also competed for the track and field team in shot put and discus, even traveling to Australia in 2009 for a World Track meet.

Garcia played in only two games for the Terrapins as a freshman but started all 12 games at left tackle his sophomore season. Following that season, he transferred to Florida. He then sat out the entire 2012 season as a result of NCAA transfer rules.

As a member of the Gators, Garcia truly shined. He started every game while there, playing tackle and guard as a junior before shifting to center during his senior season. Garcia made a seamless move to center, as he helped an offensive line that allowed just 16 sacks all season. In addition, the Gators pounded out just shy of 188 yards a game on the ground.

In the process, Garcia was selected as a team captain and won several awards at the school, including being chosen as the offensive co-MVP of the team.

Garcia earned All-SEC second-team honors, and he won the Fergie Ferguson award for leadership, as voted on by his teammates. He was also chosen for the team's Greg See Tenacity Award.

In the video below, you can hear members of the coaching staff at Florida talk about Garcia's contributions to the team:

Scouting Report

I already touched on Garcia's hands, which he uses to get into position very quickly. Very strong at the point of attack, when he has his hands on the defender, it's a battle he almost always wins. In practices at the Senior Bowl, he more than held his own against both Danny Shelton and Carl Davis.

His versatility is also an obvious asset and may be the biggest reason why the Broncos chose him. In the past two seasons, the Broncos have had to shuffle the offensive line multiple times due to injuries. Garcia is a player who could easily line up at guard or center.

His durability should be mentioned as well. While injuries have to be expected at some point, Garcia has never had anything serious on his record in that regard.

A very gentle player off the field, Garcia is a nasty, scrappy player on it. This is a trait general manager John Elway and his staff likely fell in love with. Combined with all of his other traits, Garcia completely fit the bill for what the Broncos were looking for in this draft.

While Garcia is excellent in tight, phone-booth situations, he must become more effective in space. That is the area the coaching staff will want to address during training camp this summer.

How Does He Fit with the Team?

Garcia could be an immediate starter on this team at the center position. However, the Broncos could choose to start him out at guard, working behind veterans such as Louis Vasquez and Shelley Smith.

At center, he would compete with Gino Gradkowski and Matt Paradis. Even if one of those two players wins the job initially, it will be difficult to keep Garcia out of the lineup.

Center is not an exciting position. Most fans don't watch football to see how the center is doing. But that spot is a key to success in the NFL. That is certainly the case in any offense ran by Peyton Manning. He requires his center to be on his toes and to see the game the same way he does.

Manning was at his best as a member of the Indianapolis Colts when Jeff Saturday was the center. The two developed exceptional chemistry, and they had the same understanding of what to expect on each play.

"

Kubiak on Max Garcia: "I think this kid will catch up very fast and be competitive. ... His visit really swayed us."

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) May 2, 2015"

That will be a lot for a rookie to take in, but Manning may be willing to make Garcia a quick study. After all, he hasn't had a lot of consistency at the center position in his time with the Broncos. Dan Koppen, Manny Ramirez and Will Montgomery have all played the center position during that time span.

Most importantly, Garcia will help give the Broncos flexibility along the offensive line. That is something that has been a glaring weakness in recent years. If a player goes down, they need to be able to call upon someone who can not only come in and play the position but play it effectively.

Garcia's leadership skills are his most intriguing personality trait. It will be very interesting to see the approach this rookie takes in camp this summer. So what should fans expect?

They should expect this rookie to come in and grab a starting position by the throat and eventually become a productive member of the offense for many years to come.