Missouri defensive lineman Shane Ray has become the latest potential top-10 pick to decide to enter the draft, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), who cites multiple sources in reporting Ray’s intentions. Per Getlin, the redshirt junior pass rusher will forgo his remaining year of college eligibility.
Ray, who had a breakout junior year after seeing Kony Ealy and Michael Sam drafted in May, had at least a half-sack in all but three games this year for Missouri, racking up multiple sacks in five of those contests. For the season, he finished with 61 tackles to go along with 14 sacks, a new school record.
A unanimous All-American and the SEC defensive player of the year, Ray is viewed as a strong candidate to be selected in the top 10, or perhaps top five, of this spring’s draft. In his first mock draft at ESPN.com, Todd McShay had Ray coming off the board fifth overall, to Washington. Per McShay, Ray is “an absolutely relentless pass-rusher who is tough, aggressive, can bend the end and has an explosive first step.”
Getlin reported last month that Ray was strongly considering entering the draft, adding that the defensive end’s mother was vetting potential agents.