It’s become apparent that the heir apparent (the Ware apparent?) could be available for the Denver Broncos to draft.
Missouri defensive end Shane Ray — yes, the dude whose name has been floating in the top 15 all spring — might (maybe, we’ll see, but possibly!) drop to 28th. The 2014 SEC defensive player of the year was in his car, thus garnering another comparison to Von Miller, as Ray entered the NFL’s substance abuse program. And there have been murmurs about a toe injury possibly being more serious than originally deemed. In a mock draft, with the players selected by the ESPN reporters who cover each team, Ray fell to 28th, and former Post writer Jeff Legwold .
Indeed, Denver can’t pass up on this pass rusher. DeMarcus Ware could very well be in his last season in orange and blue. Ray comes from a program that routinely develops top college pass rushers, most famously Aldon Smith and Sheldon Richardson, the 2013 AP defensive rookie of the year. Ray’s 4.56 40-yard-dash time was third-best among edge rushers in this draft, according to Sports Illustrated.
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Yes, yes, Denver could use an offensive lineman. And yes, yes, if is somehow still on the board, Denver must take a close look at him. But if the Broncos are truly comfortable with the in-house development of lineman Michael Schofield, selected in the third round a draft ago, as well as the hodge-podge of hosses they brought in this offseason, then Denver should gamble on Ray.
He’s 6 foot, 3 inches, 245 pounds and a gnarly, snarling football player’s football player. OK, he was ejected from the 2014 SEC title game for targeting the Alabama quarterback. And yes, as detailed in a recent SI profile, he has (apparently) overcome attitude issues (and he’s also overcome his baby fat. In the same SI profile, he and middle-school teammates would throw water balloons at skateboarders and then retreat, “but Ray found himself drenched in a retaliatory Slurpee during his plodding escape.”)
But Shane Ray is a top-10 talent that could fall to a top-10 team.
CHEW ON THIS
• Clayton Kershaw faced Madison Bumgarner last night — .
• Here’s from Monday Morning QB about perhaps the best running back in the draft.
• David Letterman’s final show is May 20th. Here’s in the New York Times.
• Yep, I clicked on this headline:
• I’m recovering from a guffawing fit following this piece: . It featured such analysis as “Built like a horse. Like, exactly like a horse.” … Or, “Has 4 legs, which is so many!”
• Tonight’s E:60 episode features a touching piece on Ernie Johnson, the traffic-cop broadcaster on “Inside The NBA” who has .
• And finally, happy birthday to two of my favorite humans: Jerry Seinfeld (61) and Master P (48). Wait, Master P is pushing 50? Uhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Benjamin Hochman: bhochman@denverpost.com or
