Not many are talking about him, but Trey Marshall is a man on the come. The second-year safety out of Florida State is about to throw down in safety competition for a coveted spot on the Denver Broncos’ 53-man roster.

Marshall faces long odds, no doubt. But he just got arguably the best break of his career, outside of signing with the Broncos as an undrafted rookie last year — Vic Fangio has arrived in the Mile High City.

Why is Fangio’s arrival so fortuitous for Marshall? I’ll get to that shortly.

Marshall was once a highly-coveted four-star recruit coming out of high school in Florida. He turned down multiple offers but his decision ultimately came down to FSU and Ole Miss.

Marshall stayed in his home state but his career with the Seminoles never really took off. Some of that had to do with the limitations in his ability but it mostly had to do with some bad luck with the injury bug (concussion issues) and also the presence of superstar safety Derwin James.

Marshall produced well as a tackler but what really hurt his draft stock was his lack of ball awareness and struggles in coverage. Most scouts and draftniks pegged him as being just short of a liability in coverage and he literally participated in zero takeaways as a Seminole. No interceptions, no forced fumbles and nary a fumble recovery.

For a player who started 24 games in college, that was a huge red flag to NFL teams. It speaks to a lack of instincts, frankly, and it caused him to slip entirely out of the 2018 NFL Draft. So what attracted a team like the Broncos to Marshall if he was so unproductive in college?

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His ability in the box and as a tackler. Marshall plays with a high motor and intensity. As a box safety, he’s a heat-seeking missile. All it would take is the right situation for Marshall to flourish in the NFL.

Enter Fangio.

Marshall’s best bet at making it as a safety in the NFL is on a defense that runs a lot of zone coverage, as Fangio's does. Zone coverage can simplify the coverage responsibilities of a defensive back and ‘cover’ up deficiencies in that department. If you put Marshall in a position where he understands his zones in coverage and can fly downhill to the ball, he’ll excel.

As we know, Fangio is also an admirer of defensive backs who don’t shy away from hitting and tackling. Not long after he became the 17th head coach in Broncos’ history, Fangio said that when it comes to requisites and traits for players on his defense, “tackling is non-negotiable”.

Tackling will never be a problem for Trey Marshall. Given the right scheme (check) and the right coaching (check), Marshall has the potential to shine in the NFL. Those stars are aligning for him in Denver. He could thrive as a dime-backer in Fangio's scheme.

From a height/weight/speed perspective, Marshall checks the NFL boxes — but just barely. He’s 6-foot-0 and 207 pounds. Although he didn’t compete at the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine in the on-field testing, he ran an unofficial 4.65 40 at his pro day.

Just passible speed for an NFL safety.

Also helping Marshall’s case is the momentum he’s built up since entering the league. He had an outstanding preseason last summer, which earned him a place on the Broncos’ practice squad.

Marshall eventually got called up to the active roster late in the year, appearing in two games. The next hurdle for him will be making the 53-man roster out of training camp.

This year, despite the competition he faces on the Broncos’ safety depth chart, might be his best opportunity to do so. However, he’ll have to vanquish at least two of the following players: Su'a Cravens, Jamal Carter and Dymonte Thomas, all three of whom have made the Broncos’ roster out of camp before.

But don’t sleep on Marshall this summer. Things appear to be falling into place for him. Vic Fangio is going to appreciate Marshall’s talents and will put him in the best position to succeed.

By no means does that guarantee Marshall a roster spot. But don’t be shocked if he beats out a better-known player to earn a job. The scores will have to be settled out on the grass, but the preseason games will especially determine the fate of a young player like Marshall.