The Broncos announced that they have signed first-round pick Shane Ray, as Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets. Denver selected Ray with No. 23 overall pick.
Ray, 22, opted to go pro following his junior season at Missouri. Ray was projected by some to be a top ten prospect early on in the process, but an arrest for marijuana possession a few days prior to the draft may have hurt his stock somewhat. The Broncos gave up the No. 28 pick, a fifth-rounder (143), a 2016 fifth-rounder, and offensive lineman Manny Ramirez to move up to the No. 23.
Denver believes that Ray has a bright future in the NFL and that comes as little surprise given his pedigree. Shane’s father, Wendell, was also a star at Missouri and was a fifth round draft pick in the 1981 NFL Draft by the Vikings.