Shane Ray's Reported Pot Bust May Be Enough to Complete Slide Out of 1st Round

Some young men just refuse to get out of their own way.

Despite their potential status as first-round picks in the NFL draft (and the millions of dollars on the line), far too often we see young players sabotage their draft stock weeks (or even days) before the big night.

It's apparently the hot thing to do for edge-rushers in 2015 because, for the second time this spring, a possible first-rounder has seen his chances of being drafted on April 30 go up in smoke.

As Brandon Kiley of KTGR reported, Missouri police cited former Missouri star Shane Ray for possession of marijuana Monday:

Ray released a statement about the incident on Facebook courtesy of ESPN's Adam Schefter:

"

I'd like to apologize to my Mother, Fans and prospective NFL teams for my poor judgement Monday morning. I am embarrassed and realize there are consequences for my actions. I was not under the influence nor impaired, therefore I was not detained. Fortunately, Mondays incident only resulted in a citation. I will make better choices in the future. It is imperative that I continue to strive to better myself. My future NFL career has been something I have always dreamed about and is very important to me. I commit that my actions will represent that. There are no excuses here and I will take the necessary steps to ensure this will not happen again. I will not jeopardize my ability to have a positive impact on and off the field moving forward.

"

As Peter Schrager of Fox Sports tweeted, it could make for some awkward green room moments later this week:

It wasn't supposed to be like this, of course. As recently as the beginning of this month, Ray appeared a virtual lock for the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. Bleacher Report NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller ranked Ray third in this year's deep crop of edge-rushers, calling the 6'3", 245-pounder a potential Pro Bowler with flashes of Cameron Wake in his game:

"

Cameron Wake is one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL, and Ray has that kind of potential. There are few weaknesses to his game, and like Wake, he's able to beat blockers without a huge frame or long arms. Agility, tenacity and blurry speed combine to make him a threat.

"

For Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, the comparison was Chris Clemons of the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the NFL assistant Zierlein spoke to agreed there wasn't much not to like about Ray's game:

"

He's not like other guys from Missouri that we've seen. He's got serious speed to get over the top of tackles and those other ends didn't have it. You just wish he was a little longer.

"

It turns out this was the least of Ray's problems. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported late last week, Ray had visited a specialist about his balky foot:

The doctor said surgery wasn't needed, but Zierlein reported (via colleague Mike Huguenin) that some NFL teams weren't so sure.

"Some teams believe surgery is required, which would sideline him for three to five months. In turn, that could threaten his status as a first-round pick, Zierlein says," according to Huguenin.

If it wasn't threatened before, it certainly is now.

As Dane Brugler of CBS Sports said, good luck figuring out where Ray and Nebraska's Randy Gregory (who failed his drug test at the combine) will now land:

It's with good reason. If it is humanly possible to do something dumber than failing the idiot test at the combine (the drug test that you knew was coming six months ago), it's getting busted for possession three days before the draft.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik commented on the poor choice and even remarked on Ray's falling draft stock on ESPN radio show Mike & Mike, courtesy of Michael David Smith at ProFootballTalk.com:

"

This changes Shane Ray dramatically because it's, to me, such a poor decision this close to the draft. It's the decision making. What is this guy going to do on Friday or Saturday night before a big game? Is he going to make another poor choice like this? The timing is so bad, and the foot issue, tells me that this guy isn't just dropping out of the first round, he's dropping to the third or fourth round now. I know he's dropping out of the first round. I don't see any way he's going in the first round.

"

This could be an early indicator Ray has a problem with substance abuse or that he's immature. Either way, given that we've seen the careers of young players like Josh Gordon and Justin Blackmon all but destroyed by marijuana-related problems in recent years, you can bet the rent that red flags shot up from Buffalo to San Diego and all points in between.

Granted, it isn't the end of the world. It's possible some NFL teams might be willing to look past this reported misstep to obtain the talented player they think they'll be getting. In fact, with every pick that passes the odds of that happening increase.

It's just the nature of the NFL. Risk versus reward. Where some teams see Gordon in Ray, another may see Warren Sapp, who entered the NFL under a cloud all his own.

As though we were getting through this without some cornball smoke joke? Please.

However, Ray's reported citation is just the latest in what's rapidly becoming a very bad week for the youngster, and with players like Kentucky's Bud Dupree and Virginia's Eli Harold nipping at Ray's heels—players without bum feet and a rap sheet—Ray may have torched any chance he had of hearing his name called on the first day of the draft.

And for that, he has no one to blame but himself.

Gary Davenport is an NFL analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter at @IDPSharks.