Shane Ray Declares for 2015 NFL Draft: Latest Details and Reaction

The 2015 NFL draft got a big boost of talent with the addition of Missouri standout defensive end Shane Ray reportedly declaring for the pros.     

Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports first reported that Ray has made the decision to forgo his senior season with the Tigers to start his professional career:

On Wednesday, the SEC Network would confirm the news. 

Anyone who has seen Ray play at Missouri likely isn't surprised by his decision. He's been at or near the top of most rankings since the Tigers' season started and nothing that happened diminished his stock. 

In fact, Ray continued to get better with each passing week. Tennessee head coach Butch Jones was quoted as saying before the Volunteers played the Tigers in November some even speculated Ray could be the No. 1 overall pick, via Rocky Top Insider:

There's no denying Ray's ability as a pass-rusher. He set the Missouri single-season record for sacks with 12 against Kentucky, when there were still three games left in the regular season.

All of that production led to increased attention by opposing teams, which Ray said has helped him improve the way he attacks beyond the line of scrimmage, via Sam Khan Jr. of ESPN.com:

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Every week somebody throws something kind of different at me. They might keep a fullback in or slide my way and do things to keep me away from the quarterback. But the best thing I can do is just continuing to play as hard as I can. When the plays present themselves, just make the play. Schemes are tough to combat sometimes but you just have to keep going.

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One scary thing about Ray, as noted by Rob Rang of CBSSports.com, is his electric speed and dazzling talent are just starting to materialize:

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Voted the conference's Defensive Lineman of the Week three times, Ray is proving that his phenomenal athleticism—he's been credited with a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and 40-plus vertical jump—translate well to the gridiron. Ray may wind up a top-10 pick, as the perception in the scouting community is that he is just scratching the surface of his potential.

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Another thing that could help Ray's draft stock, at least superficially, is Missouri's recent history of producing Sheldon Richardson and Aldon Smith, both of whom are NFL standouts who came from the Tigers' system. At 6'3" and 245 pounds, Ray has the tangibles and intangibles to play at that level. 

In a league where being able to stop the opposing quarterback is everything, Ray's stock will only grow as teams get a chance to watch him work out.