Even during rehab, Shane Ray found a way to get his reps.
There he’d be on the sideline of the Broncos’ practice field, donning a white bucket hat and standing alongside a coach who would pepper him with questions as the defensive line ran through drills.
“What’s the formation of the offense?” the coach would ask. “What’s your responsibility on this? What didn’t he do right? What did he do right? Where are you supposed to be?”
Ray occasionally would point, gesturing as he explained his reasoning, then turn to the coach for a nod of approval.
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The Broncos’ first-round draft pick hasn’t been a factor on the field for much of the offseason program as he has recovered from a turf toe injury and a recently strained right quad.
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Monday, in the final week of organized team activities, Ray was integrated into drills, getting his first substantial on-field practice since the Broncos selected him with the in April.
But he’s already exceeded expectations in the classroom, getting mental reps at and away from the Broncos’ facility to try to master defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ 3-4 defense and become accustomed to the speed of the pro game.
“I’ll be honest, the transition to the NFL and learning playbooks and everything that you’re supposed to do based off the formations and stuff, that’s difficult,” Ray said. “I make sure I get enough repetitions so I know what I’m supposed to do.”
So he arrives at every meeting with a notebook and pen in hand, ready to take notes on offensive formations.
He puts in hours away from practice, studying coverages and field placement.
And he turns to Pro Bowl linebackers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware for tips on how they line up, and how they make their way to the quarterback.
“He’s so sharp on the board and in watching film,” Phillips said. “For a rookie, that’s exceptional that he’s learned a lot of things as quickly as he’s learned them.”
But the learning really started long before he was drafted. His teacher then was Miller.
The two met through Marcus Murphy, Ray’s former Missouri teammate and Miller’s former high school teammate. The three spent time in Miami, where Miller and Murphy worked out with the same trainer.
“I was telling him about the locker room and how to respond to the vets and all that stuff, and how we do stuff here at the Broncos, not knowing that he was going to come here,” Miller said. “So he had a great vision of how things are supposed to go here and how he can be successful in the league.”
Ray is a first-year player on paper, but not to Miller and Ware.
“In their eyes, I’m somebody who’s supposed to come in and have an instant impact,” Ray said. “That’s what they expect of me, and that’s how they treat me in the film room and how they treat me at practice. That just says a lot about how they respect me as a player. That’s why I take so much pride in it.”
Ray is now putting his mental reps and months of learning the Broncos’ system to use. Although he played primarily on the right side at Missouri, he’s playing both sides in Denver. He’ll back up Ware and Miller, and he’ll join them in three-pass rusher sets Ware dubbed the ” .”
With his toe healed, Ray has set his sights on the season. He wants to be defensive rookie of the year. He wants to live up to the high expectations the Broncos set for him.
He wants to get better.
“Smart players get better,” Phillips said. “That’s always been the case. They learn how to do it a little bit better. He’s a smart player and he will get better.”
Nicki Jhabvala: njhabvala@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nickijhabvala
Ray file
A look at Broncos first-round draft pick Shane Ray:
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 245 pounds
Position: Linebacker
College: Missouri, 2012-14
2014 Stats: 65 tackles (47 solo), 14.5 sacks (most in Southeastern Conference), 22.5 tackles for loss (most in SEC), three forced fumbles
2014 Awards: SEC defensive player of the year, first-team All-America
Nicki Jhabvala, The Denver Post
