Dolphins Rookie Nolan Carroll Might Be a Home Run Draft Pick

Cornerback Nolan Carroll's 4.39 40 yard dash at his Maryland Pro Day caught the eye of the Dolphins brass.  And now, his standout play during training camp has caught the eye of the entire organization and its fans.

Carroll, a fifth round pick in April's Draft, started just five games during his career with the Maryland Terrapins.  Carroll was elected by his teammates as a captain prior to his senior season, but his year was cut short after he suffered a broken leg in the team's second game.

Playing in only two games last year caused Carroll's draft stock to drop sharply, but with a rehabbed leg, he is beginning to make sound waves in Miami.

Over the first week of training camp practice, Carroll began making a name for himself by first intercepting a Tyler Thigpen pass and returning it for a touchdown. Later in that same practice, he did almost the same thing on a Pat White pass.

At a later practice, Carroll picked off Chad Pennington, a feat rare to even the league's best corners, and returned it for six.  Carroll picked off three passes in the span of four practices.

Reportedly, Carroll has already hopped over Jason Allen on the cornerback depth chart, placing him at the fourth spot behind Sean Smith, Will Allen, and Vontae Davis.

And while most rookies need time adjusting to the speed of the NFL game, Carroll is already one of the fastest players on the Dolphins roster.  Miami has thrown him all over the field, allowing him to compete for the punt return job as well as a slew of special teams positions.

If he is able to utilize his speed, Carroll could find himself as a return-man and a very valuable special teams player, either at gunner or at the wing. 

This Dolphins regime has found few impact players in the later rounds of their drafts, but Carroll might be their first home run.