Max Garcia has had a roller coaster of a season and it certainly is not over yet. The fourth-round pick (133rd overall) in the 2015 NFL Draft joined an offensive line in May with several questions. As a rookie, he was supposed to be rarely seen and not heard, as most rookies are required to do; but Garcia quickly caught the coaches attention and began to climb the depth charts.

Now, more than three months removed from training camp and the preseason, he has started the last two games and even has a nickname that suggests he has promising career ahead of him.

“Max? ‘The future?’ He’s cool man,” Nine-year veteran and teammate Ryan Harris said when asked about Garcia. “He’s progressed a lot. We love having him in the room, he’s a good rookie and a hell of a player.”

Praise and a complimentary nickname for a rookie is not uncommon, but Garcia’s has come due to his work ethic and ability to learn and adapt both on the field and in the film room, not just from hype built off his college accomplishments. The praise does not end with his teammates either and it seems his nickname is quite fitting, even to his head coach.

“I’ll say this, Max [Garcia] is playing where Max deserves opportunity to play more and more,” head coach Gary Kubiak said Monday. “There are some mistakes, young mistakes, but I think Max has got a bright future and he’s showing us that and his teammates each and every week. We got through it without [Louis] Lou [Vasquez] getting banged up any more. Evan [Mathis] is playing really hurt for us in a lot of ways and he battled for us. I think Max is coming along as a player. We’ll continue to get him in there and see how it goes.”

Garcia impressed the coaching staff so much that he was in line to start his rookie season at left guard until John Elway made the big move to land free agent and former Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis. Garcia saw only 14 total snaps in the first five games but has recently been called on for more work. Both Mathis and Vasquez continue to work through injuries, so Garcia jumped in and played a larger role at both left and right guard in games 6-10. Wednesday, Harris detailed why Garcia has been able to make the nessecary improvements in his rookie season.

“I think he is tremendously talented and looks to improve. I think he listens to coaching and advice from veterans around him. He’s a hell of a player and you put those things together and you get what we see everyday.”

Garcia was called on to start against the New England Patriots and the San Diego Chargers. He quickly fit in next to both Harris and sometimes right tackle Michael Schofield. Not only has his preparation been great this season, his college background has certainly helped as well.

He played his first two college seasons at the University of Maryland as a left tackle and then transferred to the University of Florida where he played left tackle and left guard in his junior season. As a senior he started all 13 games at center for the Gators and finished his collegiate career with 37 starts in 39 games. Playing multiple positions is nothing new to him and he downplays the rigors of practicing multiple spots on the offensive line.

“Everyday I’m out there working on both sides of the ball and I’ve been playing the games at left and right so it hasn’t been anything dramatic.”

Schofield, who has seen his first playing time of his two-year NFL career this season, has seen the improvement in Garcia clearly.

“He’s definitely come along way since the beginning. You can tell he is getting really powerful in the run game and getting more confident the more game reps he gets,” Schofield said Wednesday.

Garcia did not miss an offensive snap the last two games and has been vital for the Broncos who have seen a rash of injuries across the board but especially the offensive line. On top of Mathis and Vasquez’s recent injuries, the team started in a precarious position along the line. Pro Bowl tackle Ryan Clady went down the first day of OTAs and then his replacement, fellow rookie Ty Sambrailo, was lost due to a shoulder injury in week three of the season. Garcia’s sudden ascension to the starting lineup and improved play could not have come at a better time.

He attributes a lot of his success to the veteran players around him and he seems to soak up everything he is learning but has only recently learned how tough it is to play as an every-down lineman in the last two weeks.

“The older guys have been pretty much showing me everything they know. I’ve been fortunate for that. Lou [Vasquez] helps me out a lot with technique and things like that,” Garcia said Monday. “The hardest thing is just being locked in on every single play. You have to have that razor-sharp focus on every single play. There is no time to make mistakes and be confused about things.”

One thing no one seems to be confused about inside the Broncos facility is the importance of Garcia and where his career is going. Mathis and Vasquez will need rest during games and Garcia will be ready. One day, and maybe soon, Garcia will truly be a star lineman for the Broncos. He will not just be another rookie player to plug in as a result of injury but a starter to build around. Harris, a player who knows a thing or two about being a pro, is already making that prediction.

“He has a bright future in front of him and that’s why we call him ‘the future.’”

Email Sam at sam@milehighsports.com and follow him on Twitter @SamCowhick.