NFL Draft Film Study: Missouri DE Shane Ray Explodes Off Tape

Nov 1, 2014; Columbia, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats running back Stanley Williams (18) is tackled by Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Shane Ray (56) during the second half at Faurot Field. Missouri won 20-10. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The SEC is and has been absolutely full of talent but I don’t know that anyone expected it would get the boost in the number of pass rushers it would produce when Missouri joined the conference. Guys like Sheldon Richardson and Kony Ealy have been high draft picks, and the next in line for that could very well be defensive end Shane Ray, who might have the versatility to play a stand-up, rush linebacker role in the NFL.

Today, we’re taking a closer look at Ray, thanks to the great folks at DraftBreakdown.com, who have a few of his game reels. I think you get a really good picture of where Ray is at right now as a prospect from this Florida game, which Missouri was absolutely dominant in.

Ray is a smaller defensive end at his listed 245 pounds, but you can see exactly why he plays at that weight throughout the course of the game. Ray is extremely explosive off the snap, and while offensive linemen can keep him in check due to their size advantage, when quarterbacks use deep drops and try to find more slower developing routes downfield, Ray is going to absolutely wreck the play.

He is so fast, reportedly running the 40-yard dash in the 4.5 second range, and is just a really explosive athlete. You can see that throughout that game reel, but it’s not more evident than when the game is wearing along, and Ray’s speed is becoming simply too much for the opposing linemen, and he starts to take over the game.

So far this season, that has led to 50 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks to go along with two forced fumbles and a blocked kick. Ray has truly been all over the field, and that’s generating some top 10 discussion among the draft community. He was projected to go 8th overall to the Chicago Bears in Rob Rang’s latest mock draft.

As good as Ray has been, the question coming into the NFL is going to be whether he can make the position switch if asked, and whether or not he can add a little more weight and still play at the same speed with the same explosiveness. That is clearly his strength at this point, so it will be fun to watch if he declares for the 2015 draft how he handles offseason workouts, whether or not he changes his body physically, etc.

This is an exciting young prospect, no matter what way you look at it, and he is going to be in the discussion among the top players in his class whenever he chooses to leave Mizzou.