FS, Troy Nolan, Arizona St.

Pros:  Good size. ... Standout player both years of Pac-10 competition. ... Ball hawk at free safety. ... Willing to bait quarterbacks and can make the big play.

Cons:  Has to prove the straight-line speed to be effective as a free safety in the NFL. ... Despite size, ducks his head too often when taking on blocks and can lose track of the ball.

Styg's Broncos Fit:   Medical issues and concerns about his speed drive his stock down,  but I think he has all the tools you look for in a game-changing free safety.  The medical concern is an old knee injury that didn't seem to hamper his athleticism in two full years of action, although it does seem to have cost him some speed.  Very aggressive and commits too early to the "big play" angle, leaving others to clean up the mess, but showed that he could respond to coaching by improving significantly in this area in 2008.  His best characteristics are when he is in coverage, where he tracks the ball, intimidates anyone in his area with physical hits, and attacks routes and passes with great instincts and timing.  Makes plays at the right times and often sets off a cascade effect on his team, with several examples of leading the charge in multiple-turnover games and multi-game turnover trends.  He needs to improve his 40-time to go higher, but where he is could be a great spot for solid safety depth.

Around MHR:

Around SBNation:

From "Player Profile:  Troy Nolan" at Phinsider:

I went to every ASU home football game this past season, and although we had a TERRIBLE season, Troy Nolan was a brightspot...he made some huge plays for us, coming up with key breakups and picks, and jacked some people up, i am remembering one hit against Stanford where he knocked the guy out.....he did overpursue at times, which led to big plays for the opposition, but if he comes to the Dolphins he will be learning from 2 vets that can teach him to read the plays better, and he will improve...he also did some punt and kick return for us and did a decent job.

Highlights:

Scouting Reports and Offsite Links:

• A tall, well-built free safety who reads and reacts quickly and does a nice job jumping balls on all levels of the field. A real ball hawk who has a second gear to close on the play. Has been very productive over the past two seasons both in the pass and run game. Displays impressive lateral ability for his size and does a nice job slipping blocks and attacking the ball. Exhibits good instincts attacking downhill with the power and technique to consistently wrap up on contact.  [see more...]