NFL Draft picks 2015: Shane Ray goes to Broncos at No. 23 after trade

With the No. 23 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected defensive end Shane Ray of Missouri. Ray is one of the top pass rushers in this year’s draft class, and was widely considered a surefire first-round pick coming into the draft. The Broncos traded up to select Ray, swapping first-round picks with the Detroit Lions, giving up their fifth-round pick this year, a fifth-round pick in 2016 and Manny Ramirez to do so.

During the leadup to the draft, Ray was cited in Missouri for possession of marijuana and issued a fine. The defensive end has since released a statement of apology addressed to his mother, fans and his potential future employers. As a result of the citation, Ray is expected to enter Stage 1 of the league’s substance abuse program. If he incurs another violation, he would face a multi-game suspension.

Ray has one of the best first steps of any pass rusher this year. He set a school record for sacks in a single season with 14.5 in 2014, his junior season. He ranked third in the nation in sacks, and also managed 22.5 tackles for loss. He showed a lot of improvement over his 2013 season, in which he had 4.5 sacks and just nine tackles for loss.

Ray was named a first-team All-SEC player and was a unanimous All-American in 2014. He was also named the defensive player of the year for the SEC. Ray only has one full season as a starter, backing up both Kony Ealy and Michael Sam in 2013, but he took advantage of that single season with a big junior campaign.

If Ray has one big weakness, it’s the fact that he typically has trouble stopping the run. He’s a pass-rusher with a quick first step, but when he doesn’t find success with that first step, he disappears and is essentially taken out of the play.