*Projected by many analysts to be a top pick in this year's NFL Draft, Missouri's Shane Ray participated in positional drills and ran the 40-yard dash at the school's pro day. *
For the first time since suffering a foot injury in Missouri's 33-17 victory over Minnesota in the Florida Citrus Bowl, pass rusher Shane Ray on Thursday took the field in front of spectators -- including NFL head coaches and scouts -- at the school's pro day.
Here's a look at the University of Missouri's 2015 Pro Day that took place in Columbia, Mo.
Ray – who many considered a top-five talent in this year's draft class – ran a 4.68 40-yard dash while also demonstrating his skills in position specific drills.
"I was a little nervous, and that was just because I was wondering like, 'Ok, what drills are they going to have me do,'" he told reporters following his workout this week. "But I never questioned myself. I had faith in all of my training over these past couple months I just came out here and relaxed and just did me."
The 6-foot-3, 245 pounder only participated in the bench press at February's NFL Combine in Indianapolis, recording 21 reps.
That performance, along with what he showed during pro day on the field, makes him the explosive athlete many teams are craving to add to their defenses.
"I feel like I bring everything you need as a defender to the table," he said at the combine. "I play with a lot of passion and a lot of energy. I'm really physical. I've shown that I can make plays in the open field, that I can drop into coverage."
Ray had one of the most productive seasons in recent memory last year, as he recorded career highs across the board with 65 tackles – 22.5 for loss – and 14.5 sacks en route to SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Against some of the top talent in the country at the collegiate level, many of whom he'll be lining up against in the NFL, Ray learned certain pass-rush tendencies that he hopes play off.
"One thing I learned from going after quarterbacks, is, especially going to the NFL,I've got to aim a lot lower, and wrap up their legs instead of trying to get a hit on 'em, and just try and bring 'em to the ground," he said. "That would probably be the safest thing to do."
Other Missouri Pro Day Notes
Christian Brinser, David Butler, Markus Golden, Jimmie Hunt, Mitch Morse, Marcus Murphy, Gavin Otte, Darvin Ruise, Bud Sasser, Duron Singleton, Lucas Vincent, Braylon Webb and Darius White were also in attendance.
The following personal bests were set per MUTigers.com:
Bud Sasser -- 40-yard dash (4.5 seconds) & broad jump (10-0 feet)
Markus Golden -- 40-yard dash (4.66 seconds) & 225-pound bench press (17 reps)
Lucas Vincent -- broad jump (9-3 feet)
Marcus Murphy -- 225-pound bench press (14 reps)
RELATED LINKS:
-- 2015 Mock Drafts: Shane Ray To The Redskins?
-- Shane Ray Can Do It All As 3-4 Outside Linebacker
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