What's up guys. Happy New Year's Eve (it's about 1AM here). Sorry, again, for my absence. The orient is a busy place.

 

Anyhoo, down to business. Today we'll look at Shane Ray, the latest in a long line of productive rushers from Missouri. You can find video of him on www.draftbreakdown.com (they do a great job). So this guy is 6'3, 245 pounds - stout build. Here's the status on this kid, though... he's reportedly run a 4.4 40, has a 40-plus vertical,  10 foot broad, and presses over 400. So in the weight room, at least, he's a stud. We'll be looking at him to play the LEO and the OTTO, our two edge rush positions, and we'll be looking at his games against UCF, Florida, and South Carolina.

 

For starters, here are my tallies of his stats in these contests - 8 tackles,1 missed, 10 pressures, 7 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. I get tired of saying this, but once again, we don't scout by the box score, we scout by traits. Its worth saying, though, that he's had considerable and consistent production this year (although he was completely shut out during the first half of the Florida game).

 

Strengths:

 

The first thing that jumps out at you (pun obviously intended) about Ray's game is his burst off the line. It's the best I've seen in this class bar none, and, when combined with his premier athleticism, gives him the ability to just run around offensive tackles, which he does quite often. This is complemented by his flexibility and very fluid hips, which he can use to chase the QB all over the field. He seems to have a particular skill for navigating the trenches, and his hip fluidity allows him to adjust very fast to the ball carrier and chase him down. He also demonstrates effective hand placement, which is uncommon for college rushers. Overall, though, this kids game is predicated on explosion. When you see him jump off the line faster than anyone else, or contort his body to make a stop in the backfield, you say wow. This guy is explosion all the way, and his speed-to-power conversion can really push back offensive tackles.

 

Weaknesses:

 

Shane Ray has two main weaknesses as a pass rusher. The first is a tendency to be pushed around if he gets caught up in blocks - the traditional Achilles' heel of explosive rushers. I think this is due in part to the fact that he doesn't extend his arms all the way, which he really needs to learn to do to make up for his relatively short (by LEO standards) frame. I think if you correct his arm extension he should be fine, since his speed-to-power is pretty good. The second, more concerning issue is bending. As said before, he doesn't have the long build you'd like to see in a LEO, and he doesn't currently use his arm length very well. Neither does he bend very often, whether due to inability or it not being necessary due to his speed, I can't say. So far in his career (as evidenced by his sack and pressure totals) he hasn't been required to use anything other than his first step and his speed. Once he gets to the league, however, bigger and more athletic tackles will find it all to easy to pin him because he doesn't make himself a hard target, just a fast one. I think the shuttle will be important for him at the combine.

 

Grade:

 

Athleticism: 9 (He has upper-tier speed and his acceleration is off the charts)

 

Field Vision: 7 (Took some plays off but uses good angles and tracks the ball well)

 

Pass Rush: 9 (Phenomenal first step, most tackles can't survive his explosion)

 

Strength: 7 (Gets pushed around when he's contacted in the trenches, especially the first half of the Florida game)

 

Flexibility: 8 (Able to adjust quickly to agile ball carriers and picks his way through the trenches well, but hasn't shown bending ability)

 

Block Shedding: 7.5 (Has a good rip and hand placement but needs to extend arms more)

 

Total: 47.5/60 or 79/100

 

This is my second-highest grade for a pass-rusher in this class, and while some of you may disagree, I urge you to look at his traits rather than his stats.

 

Shane Ray is a freak athlete with the best explosion I've seen in this class. He is limited by his lack of length, strength, arm extension, and bending. He would fit the LEO role, but I'd not put him at OTTO without seeing him in coverage. The only issue with putting him at LEO is, again, his lack of length. I think he'll be a good player, and I'd take him at the back end of the top 10, but not with the third overall pick. He will improve with NFL level coaching and strength, but if he doesn't find a way to bend he could be in trouble. If the Jags were to take him, it would have to be in a trade-back scenario.

 

Thanks for reading. Leave your comments below or in the hub of my scouting work (link's in my signature). God bless you guys and go Jags.

 

 

 

 

 

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