STRENGTHS: Sports a prototypical tackle build with a tapered, high-cut frame, long arms and plenty of room for additional muscle mass without sacrificing his quickness. Poised in pass protection, easing out of his stance with an efficient kickslide and patiently waiting for the defender to come to him. Shows good quickness and balance to force defenders to run the arc around him. Slides easily, showing natural mirror skills, as well as some recovery ability even when beaten off the ball, effectively using his long arms and flexibility to get a late shove in on defenders. Looks to help out teammates when not covered up and shows some nastiness with well-timed punches to knock defenders down. Physicality extends to the running game, where Garcia does not appear to be satisfied with just walling off defenders, providing a good pop on contact with heavy hands and selling out with good core strength and leg drive to move the pile. Encouraging use of greater physicality against top competition, ratcheting up the intensity in the showdown with then No. 2 Clemson.
WEAKNESSES: Protected by an offense that routinely gets the ball out of the quarterback's hands quickly and rarely asks its linemen to block out of the three-point stance. Highly inconsistent hand placement, shooting them too low and leaving himself vulnerable to swim moves and too often reaching outside of the numbers and grabbing the side panels of the jersey. Can get lazy with his footwork, lunging rather than mirroring opponents and occasionally leaving easy lanes in the B gap (between the left guard) that NFL rushers will have no problems exploiting.
IN OUR VIEW: With his long arms, light feet and aggressive playing style, Garcia possesses the combination of traits scouts are looking for in a modern day offensive tackle. Given the caliber of players he's faced over his career, the level of competition question is not as concerning as the up-tempo scheme in which he played at Troy. With a little time to acclimate to a more traditional pro-style offense, Garcia could wind up "surprising" as an NFL starter.
COMPARES TO: David Bakhtiari, Green Bay Packers: The blindside protector for former NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, Bakhtiari has gone from a fourth round pick (No. 109 overall in 2013) to a legitimate Pro Bowl candidate. Just like Garcia at Troy, Bakhtiari's quick feet, length and tenacity stood out at Colorado but scouts questioned how well he'd acclimate to the greater size and strength of the NFL.
