ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — If Garett Bolles' career turns out like Joe Thomas', the Broncos' investment in the first-round pick would be more than justified.
Perhaps that's obvious. Thomas, the six-time first-team All-Pro, is headed to the Hall of Fame when his career wraps up.
Any set of accolades that even comes close would be a massive haul for the rookie left tackle -- and it's far too high a bar to set for Bolles at this early stage of his career.
That doesn't mean he isn't thinking about what it takes to make it to that level. Five days into his first training camp, Bolles has already identified what helps make Thomas, Joe Staley and Tyron Smith so successful.
Bolles certainly didn't compare himself to those players Monday, but he did acknowledge his biggest challenge is to find the same consistency that allows them to thrive with their respective teams.
"The thing about the NFL that people don't know is that it's all about consistency," Bolles said. "[Staley, Smith and Thomas] do the same thing every single day, and that's what I'm trying to get to, because I'm a young buck in this league and I've got to get used to being consistent -- and there's nothing better than coming out here every day and going against our defense."
Sometimes, that defense gets the best of the rookie left tackle and the rest of the offensive line. They did that Sunday, when Bolles and the offense "weren't on our game" and put together a performance that he called unacceptable.
He does recognize poor practices are part of the learning curve, but Bolles seemed more concerned Monday with how quickly the offensive line reacted to that failure.
"We all hit adversity in our life, but just every single day ... we've got to come out and smack that adversity in the face," Bolles said. "That's what's going to help us make it where we need to be. A Super Bowl is what we want to win, and that's where we want to go."
As he looks to make sure he's taking steps forward and finding the consistency he seeks, Bolles has identified a different area of his game on which to focus each day.
His pass sets were his focus Monday, and the previous day he narrowed in on firing off the ball. Bolles is also getting advice from Von Miller, Shane Ray, Kasim Edebali and several others whenever his hands get too low or his feet don't turn.
Over the course of five practices, Bolles has had a crash course on technique as he competes for the starting left tackle position.
"This ain't college no more," Bolles said with a laugh. "I'll tell you guys that right now."
In this league, Bolles said, everyone's fast and everyone's an athlete.
As training camp continues, Bolles will be looking for the consistency to keep up.
