In 2015, the Denver Broncos used the 23rd overall pick in the draft to select University of Missouri defensive end Shane Ray. That season would culminate with the franchise’s third Super Bowl championship.
Ray would play in 14 regular-season contests games for a team that carried a relentless defense to a Lombardi Trophy. As a rookie, he finished with 20 tackles (7 for losses), four sacks, and seven quarterback hits. He would also appear in all three of Denver’s postseason contests. While he did not record any stops in playoff wins over the Steelers and Patriots, Ray finished with two tackles and a forced fumble (which did not result in a takeaway) in the 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Santa Clara.
Career Derailed
In his second season with the club, he played in all 16 games, making eight starts. He totaled 48 tackles, 21 quarterback hits, eight sacks, and a forced fumble. Ray returned one of his two fumble recoveries for touchdowns.
Then came the injuries, He played in a total of 19 games the next two seasons and finished with just 26 tackles and two sacks.
Last offseason, the Buffalo Bills wrestled star defender Von Miller away from the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams to the tune of six years and $120 million (via Spotrac). He and defensive end Greg Rousseau tied for the team lead with eight sacks.
However, the one-time Denver Broncos standout and Super Bowl 50 MVP missed the final five games of the regular season and the playoff matchups with the Dolphins and Bengals with a torn ACL. He’s on the road to recovery (via Nick Wojton of BillsWire.com) and it will be interesting to see when he is available once again.
Will It Be Miller Time?
While Miller’s status for 2023 remains uncertain, it’s entirely possible when he gets back to the field, his former teammate Ray will be with him again. After a four-year hiatus, the soon-to-be 30-year-old performer inked a deal with the Bills earlier this week. If he can recapture that form of his first two seasons, Sean McDermott’s defense will be the better for it.
Meanwhile, if Miller can come all the way back from his knee injury and perform as he has the past two seasons with the Rams (2021) and Bills (2022), who knows where this club could be headed by season’s end?
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