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Even though the 2015 NFL Draft is still roughly four months away and a lot can still happen in the evaluation process ESPN analyst Todd McShay wouldn’t be surprised if Missouri defensive end Shane Ray ends up being the first player selected from the Southeastern Conference.
“I remember watching last year, getting ready for the draft, and watching Michael Sam and the rest of the defensive prospects in that group, and Ray really jumped out to me,” McShay said on a conference call with reporters on Tuesday morning.
“I thought he was the player who had a chance to be special and he really took his game to another level this year.”
His primary competition from the league could be Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper, who was a Hesiman Trophy finalist. In his initial mock draft last month McShay had Ray being selected fifth overall to Washington and Cooper sixth to the New York Jets.
A lot of that will depend on team needs and how players do in workouts. The deadline for underclassmen to declare themselves eligible isn’t until Jan. 15, but McShay likes Ray’s first-step quickness, ability to bend the edge as a pass-rusher, and non-stop motor.
“I think he could personally be a top-10 pick,” he added.
Cooper has not announced if he’s going pro yet, and neither has Crimson Tide safety Landon Collins or running back T.J. Yeldon.
McShay projects Collins to be the top safety in the draft if available (for now he has him ninth to Chicago), but doesn’t believe Yeldon would be a first-round selection.
Part of that has to do with his position, as NFL teams have cooled on using an early pick to select a running back.
Nevertheless, a number talented running back have already said they’re going pro early including Georgia’s Todd Gurley, South Carolina’s Mike Davis, Mississippi State’s Josh Robinson, Indiana’s Tevin Coleman, Miami’s Duke Johnson, and Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon.
“Running back is loaded, it’s so deep,” said McShay, who wonders if the high numbers of quality players will cause some drop in the draft.
“Unless you’re a first-round pick, in my mind you should go back and develop,” McShay said was his general advice for underclassmen still weighing decisions. “Every situation is different, though.”
Christopher Walsh has covered Alabama football since 2004 and is the author of 19 books. In his free time, he writes about college football.
