Shane Ray 2015 NFL Draft Scouting Report

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Shane Ray

• Position: Edge Rusher (DE/OLB)
  
• Class: Junior (redshirt)
  
• College: Missouri
  
• Ht/Wt: 6'3", 245 pounds
  

Scouting Report

Shane Ray is one of a few great, smaller-sized pass rushing prospects in this class. He has outstanding burst and fluid hips, allowing him to pick his angle and rush effectively. Ray has active arms with a strong rip, and the potential for a very good swim move. He closes incredibly quickly, and he will make the tackle if he's given an angle to do it. A smaller guy, Ray doesn't have a lot of core power. When he gets tangled up in a tackle's arms, he can be neutralized.

He is able to mostly anchor in his position and walk down the line instead of being blown off the ball when defending the run. Still, he is not ever going to physically dominate an offensive tackle the way some bigger edge rushers can. While he can be creative with the angles he takes and explode through an opening if given one, this sometimes leads to open running lanes for draw plays; he needs to rein himself in every now and then. Ray has strong hands that help him rip balls out or pull someone down from any angle. He mainly lines up at right end, but has experience on the left side - and even the three-tech. He doesn't really do coverage right now, but he has the agility to handle limited work there. Ray is most comfortable in a three-point stance.

Grade

Ray absolutely jumps off the tape as a pass rusher. He had a dominant season, with 22.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and three forced fumbles. That ability to relentlessly make his way into the backfield will appeal to plenty of teams at the top of the draft. I have him graded as a Top 10 pick, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him go in the Top 5.