Could Patriots have shot at Missouri pass rusher Ray?

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Shane Ray’s foot issue is lingering and the big-time pass rusher from Missouri could slip in the draft, according to draft analyst Lance Zeirlein.

The 6-2, 245-pound Ray is projected as a first-round pick. His 65 tackles and 14.5 sacks in 2014 led to his being named SEC Defensive Player of the Year (succeeding former teammate Michael Sam). But the toe injury that kept him from running at the NFL Combine persists.

Recovery from the surgery could take five months, according to the first round of speculation. Ray was able to run last month in a Missouri Pro Day and showed well.

It seems crazy that a team in love with Ray would pass on him because they might not have him for a few games at the start of his rookie season. Unless the injury is one that threatens to reoccur throughout his career, what’s the big deal?

The Patriots took a chance last season on Dominique Easley after he was downgraded because of a pair of blown ACLs at Florida. We’ll see how that pays off over the long haul, but taking a talent that other teams are leery of is sometimes the solace of teams picking late.

Ray is seen as a maniac off the edge in a kind of Elvis Dumervil style. Whether he can drop in coverage and play the run when necessary has been a source of debate. If the toe does indeed impact Ray’s draft stock, those questions about Ray may be more hotly debated in New England as the Patriots could get a shot at picking him.

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