ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With just over a month to go until the NFL draft, on-campus pro days are in full swing.
The Denver Broncos have dispersed their scouts both near and far to monitor players. But this week there are several campus tours that will be of particular interest for the Broncos.
On Tuesday, for instance, Troy will conduct its on-campus pro day. Troy’s event is tucked into a schedule that also includes Boston College, North Carolina and UCLA.
The Broncos will have plenty of interest in UCLA linebacker Takkarist McKinley -- though the pass-rusher figures to be long gone by the time the Broncos pick at No. 20 -- and cornerback Fabian Moreau.
But Troy is where a player who would be a nice fit in their 2017 draft class is scheduled to go through the paces. Tackle Antonio Garcia didn’t surrender a sack this past season in more than 900 snaps. Garcia, who checked in at the scouting combine at 6-foot-6 and 302 pounds, is a left tackle prospect who may need a little time before he’s ready for an NFL starting lineup, but his size and athleticism are an attractive combination for a team like the Broncos who have an opening at left tackle.
The Broncos got a long look at Garcia at the Senior Bowl, where he fared well. And he didn't allow any sacks against Clemson, the eventual national champion, this past season as well.
His work against a strong Clemson defensive line has been cited by scouts in recent weeks. At the moment, the Broncos consider Garcia a prospect who would need a little time before he’s ready to start.
If they drafted Garcia, they would need a bridge player -- or at least a bridge plan. The Broncos don't have a surefire player to line up at left tackle and have publicly tinkered with the idea that either Donald Stephenson, who had a disappointing season at right tackle in 2016, or Menelik Watson, who has never played more than 12 games in a season because of injuries, could be a solution.
If they did select Garcia, he could simply show them in the weeks and months that follow the draft that he's ready. But the biggest question is whether he'll have the ability, after having played his college career at under 300 pounds, to add the upper body strength he’ll need to fend off edge rushers who bull-rush him.
Of the tackles on the board, Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk, Utah’s Garett Bolles and Alabama’s Cam Robinson are considered the most ready to play as rookies. Ramczyk is coming off hip surgery, however. There are some personnel evaluators, however, who believe Garcia might eventually turn into one of the best tackles available in this draft.
With a 5.15 40-yard dash, a 31-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot broad jump at the combine, Garcia showed plenty of athleticism for a player of his size. He projects into the second round at this point.