Scouting The Draft: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri

Introduction

Shane Ray started his illustrious career of taking down QBs at Bishop Miege high school, in Kansas City Missouri. You can say he was born into the position. His father, Wendell Ray, was drafted in the 5th round of the 1981 draft as a D-lineman. Ray took after his father, very early in his football days. For Bishop Miege, Ray put up huge sack totals, and TFLs. This violent production on the field led to Rivals.com ranking Shane the 17th DE in the nation.

With such praise coming out of high school, there were many teams that came running to woo Shane. Over big names such as Notre Dame or Oklahoma, Ray decided to stay local, and go to MU. It is here Shane surpassed his father's football legacy. If you know Missouri football, you know they pump out NFL quality D-linemen on a yearly basis. In his freshman year, he was looking up at guys like our very own Sheldon Richardson and Michael Sam. Playing time was limited, but he got his licks in when he was given the chance.

In his 2013, sophomore season, Ray was given a bigger role. Now you have names like Kony Ealy, Markus Golden and Sam. Even with all this star power ahead of him, Sam was able to eclipse all of them in QB hurries with 8. The stage was set for Ray to have a monster Junior year, and he didn't upset us.

Measurables

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 245

Class: Junior

Projected 40 Time: 4.55

Stats

Positives

• Very fast first step
• Has a good bend around the corner
• Does well in pursuit of the ball carrier
• Plays very aggressively
• Has a high motor
• Violent hands
• Can bench over 400 pounds
• Well balanced
• Can balance his outside moves with quick jab inside
• Has a very quick reaction time
• NFL bloodlines

Negatives

• A liability in the run game
• Struggles to come off of blocks
• Can be overly aggressive
• Can be pushed around by stronger tackles
• Needs to gain weight to stay at DE
• Questions about being able to stand up
• Can add to his pass rushing move resume

Conclusion

Ray is one of my favorite pass rushers in the draft. He has to be respected coming off the edge, and if you don't commit to stopping him, you won't. An edge rusher with Ray's kind of potential will keep him near the top of most draft boards. The question is if he will be able to make the jump to the LBer position. We have an incredible need for an edge rusher. This is enhanced by the lack of secondary talent the New York Jets have. In Arizona, Todd Bowles had an amazing secondary, so he was able to get by without a great edge rusher. I have a rule that I will not take an edge rusher in the top 15 if they can't defend the run. These high picks are too valuable to use on a guy that will probably have to transition to a new position, and is a liability against the run. If he were to fall to the 2nd, I wouldn't hesitate to take him, but not at 6. With that said, if Ray goes to the right system, he will be a pass rushing terror. Bowles is flexible enough to put him in such a position. It's all about how far he drops. Someone is bound to overdraft him though.

Draft Grade: 82

90-100 = Exceptional Talent

80-90 = Impact Player

70-80 = NFL Starter

60-70 = Solid NFL Potential

50-60 = Draftable - Lot of work needed

>50 = Undraftable - Long Shot To Stick