There will likely be some bittersweet news coming in the near future for fans of the Missouri Tigers. Junior defensive lineman Shane Ray will probably be leaving early for the NFL. He has made no indication one way or the other, but his draft stock is way too high for him not to move on.
When you’re ready for the next challenge, you go to go, and Ray is more than ready. He could be an immediate-impact starter. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound freak athlete has an explosiveness that is incredibly difficult to contain.
Ray started the season projected as a second-day selection, but his performance to date has shot him up to an early first-round projection on most draft boards. With two regular season games remaining, Ray is third in the country and first in the SEC with 13 sacks, which is a Mizzou single-season record.
That’s a pretty impressive record when you consider the lineage of defensive lineman to come out of Missouri. Ray had to top the likes of Justin Smith, Ziggy Hood, Michael Sam, Kony Ealy, Sheldon Richardson and Aldon Smith to leave his mark.
But one thing evaluators love about Ray is that he isn’t purely a pass rusher. His ability as a run-stuffer has scouts drooling over his scheme versatility. On top of the 13 sacks, Ray has compiled 52 tackles with 16 for a loss. The NFL Combine and Senior Bowl Week might shake things up a bit, but right now, you could hold Ray’s draft stock up against anybody else’s.
With his measurables and everything he’s shown us on tape, Ray is as close to a can’t-miss prospect the upcoming draft has. At this point, he should not be projected any lower than the first half of the first round, with a ceiling as high as No. 1 overall.
Aaron Charles is a writer for www.rantsports.com. Follow him on twitter @aaroncharleskc or add him to your network on Google
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