Denver Broncos to Watch in Training Camp: LB Shane Ray

Earlier this month, the Denver Broncos unveiled their schedule for training camp. Things kick off at Dove Valley in Englewood, Colorado, on July 31, and the fans will get to watch the Broncos at their new facility. Last year, training camp was closed to the public while team headquarters underwent a massive construction project.

The Broncos have a ton of talent on both sides of the ball. It will be a difficult process to find the best 53-man roster possible—and it will take most of the month of August to do so.

There will be positional battles at multiple spots as the Broncos establish their depth chart for the 2015 season. This pecking order will largely be determined by players' performances in training camp.

In this edition of "Broncos To Watch in Training Camp," we take a look at 2015 first-round pick linebacker Shane Ray.

Dove Valley Quotes

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Rookies reported to team headquarters Monday, and Ray got a chance to speak to the Broncos media after checking in.

For the first time under the guidance of general manager John Elway, the Broncos moved up in the first round of the draft. With Ray falling to them, the opportunity was too good to pass up. Ray feels no pressure in being a high draft pick.

"Not at all. For me, it’s football. It’s what I’ve been doing my whole life, so nothing really changes. As long as you work hard and work for what you want to do, I feel like you can be successful at whatever you want," Ray said. "That’s kind of my motto, and it’s how I live."

Playing in Denver, Ray knows he’ll have to get used to the altitude of the Mile High City. Ray has been preparing his body for high-level performance this far above sea level.

"I’ve been here for a month running and training with [strength and conditioning coach] Luke [Richesson] and the strength staff," Ray said. "I feel like I’m in the best shape that I could possibly be in as far as entering this camp."

Ray’s playing weight has been a question mark this offseason. He needs to bulk up to work well as a run defender, but he doesn’t want to lose any of his trademark quickness and speed.

"Right now I’m 247 [pounds]," Ray said. "I plan on playing between 245 and 250. That’s where I want to stay. It’s where I feel most comfortable keeping my speed and my athleticism."

The rookie knows he must stand strong against the run, and he’s sought out the advice of Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.

"Von speaks about it a little more than DeMarcus. Von talks about playing the run first because those are the harder downs. You dominate the run, and then the pass rush is where you get to do what you love to do," Ray said. "You take care of the first couple downs, set the edge, play the run, stop them and get them in 3rd-and-long, and then it’s what you do every day: You pass rush, and you go get the quarterback. That’s what I work on."

Positives

John Raoux/Associated Press

Ray plays football like a man possessed. Explosion is the name of the game with this pass-rusher, and he gets off the snap in the blink of an eye. He does a good job of anticipating the snap, and he can blow by blockers before they even get set up in their stances.

Once the quarterback is in his sights, Ray does a great job of bursting in to finish the job. Ray plays like he hates quarterbacks, and he arrives to the ball with natural violence.

He's got the athleticism to cover in the open field, and Ray has sought the guidance of the veterans around him.

"Von helps me a lot in coverage, and DeMarcus helps me a lot with my hands and pass rush. They’re two different players and two different athletes, so I take little pieces from each one of them and apply them to myself," he said.

Ray does a good job of using a variety of moves to get to the quarterback. He doesn’t lose speed when changing directions, and he will pursue the ball-carrier when the play goes away from him.

Negatives

L.G. Patterson/Associated Press

There aren't many negatives to Ray’s game. However, one of the first things Ray must prove is his health. A turf toe injury plagued Ray during the predraft process earlier this year, and it has also prevented him from getting in much work during offseason workouts.

Ray said he's healthy now.

"I’m 100 percent—full go. All drills, 100 percent. The issue was that I didn’t have any time to rest during the predraft process and get the proper treatment. As soon as I got here, I got the things that I needed, the treatment that I needed and the orthotics that I needed, and my recovery happened like it was supposed to," he said. "Now it is not an issue."

With his toe injury behind him, Ray is ready to get back in action on the practice field.

"Now that I’m a full go and I don’t have any issues with my foot, it’s back to what I was doing in college: having fun, rushing the passer and even dropping into coverage," Ray said. "It’s all of those things. I’m excited."

What to Watch For

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The Broncos are set to have a ferocious defense in 2015. They’ve already got two of the best pass-rushers in the NFL, and adding Ray to the mix should make them even more dangerous.

Miller has the potential to snare 20 sacks this season for the Broncos. Ware should get 10 or more sacks, but he has to prove he can have staying power as the season rolls on after getting only two sacks in the final eight games of 2014.

We’ll see Ray give breathers to both Miller and Ware this season.

"I’m learning both linebacker positions to help DeMarcus and Von, and I’m growing as an all-around football player for what they want me to do," he said.

Ray is ready to prove his critics wrong.

"I’m very eager. I think that sometimes people forget that I was SEC Defensive Player of the Year because of where I fell in the draft and my situation," Ray said of his citation for possession of marijuana in the week before the draft. "For me to come out and remind everybody of what I’m still capable of doing is very important to me."

It won’t be a surprise to see Ray talked about as the Rookie Defensive Player of the Year in the NFL. He’s got the natural talent, and he’s got the motivation to play better than even his biggest supporters think he’s capable of. With a guy like Ray, it’s best not to doubt him—instead, just sit back and enjoy the view.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats via ESPN's employees-only database.

Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions.