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Yesterday, the Denver Broncos‘ new blue chip rookie linebacker Shane Ray did something not that uncommon with athletes: He set a lofty goal for himself. Only, he made the fateful mistake of verbalizing said goal to the media.
The goal, you ask? The promising edge rusher Ray declared that he has his sights set on winning the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year and has every intention of proving he is the league’s top defensive rookie.
Now, this may come off immature for a guy like Ray who saw his draft stock tumble after being issued a marijuana citation days before the draft and sat out most of camp with a toe injury left over from his days at the University of Missouri. But, that would imply that Ray would have to be at the intersection of wrong and insane in order to make such a bold prediction.
He isn’t. Ray has all the tools and skills to make his Defensive Rookie of the Year dreams a reality.
First, it comes down to Ray’s talent level and, as far as anyone is concerned, it’s through the roof and somewhere in outer space. As an edge rusher, Ray is quick off the line and tremendous at finding the poor ball carrier who will become his next victim. He is a tough block for any offensive lineman, as he employs a vicious rip move to get behind the line. Sure, he has a few flaws in his game and needs to diversify his arsenal of pass-rushing moves, but it’s tough not to envision at least a few of these flaws being ironed out under the tutelage of All-Pro linebackers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.
Ray’s circumstances couldn’t be any better either. Despite having two stellar linebackers in Miller and Ware in front of him, he will still see prime snaps in games that matter. The coaching staff is even working on a package which will feature all three fearsome linebackers.
When Ray sees the field, he will be as good as any linebacker out there. He will, however, have the element of surprise in his favor as most teams will probably be game planning around one of his contemporaries. Most teams won’t have enough film on Ray to craft an effective game plan either. This is the perfect storm which will allow Ray to play his aggressive style of defense with minimal interference and backlash.
It should also be noted that there isn’t a high volume of competition for the award unless a late-round rookie comes out of nowhere to snatch it. With such a slim pool to pick from, it will be easy for Ray to differentiate himself and showcase his skills. Still, even with a slim pool the talent level of each of his competitors is high, and Ray will have to beat out some impressive names along the way to his Defensive Rookie of the Year crown.
Other than that, if Ray can remain healthy and prove his toe injury is gone, all the pieces are there for him to achieve his lofty goal. As a rookie, it may be a little out of Ray’s place to set such a superb goal, but it’s that kind of confidence in himself which makes him a hard man to doubt.
Mike Carlson is a Denver Broncos Beat Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @deejayactual or add him to your network on Google.
