Former Denver Broncos first-round pick has new life at an NFL rookie minicamp this weekend

The Denver Broncos, like all NFL teams, have a storied history of draft picks, some of which have been less successful. One such example often cited is Shane Ray, a former first-round pick. Ray had a good start to his career and showed a ton of flash that he could be great, so I wouldn't quite throw him in there. But, obviously, it still never worked out between him and the Broncos.

In his rookie year, he played just 35% of the defensive snaps and finished with 20 tackles and four sacks. In his second season, he played just 58% of snaps but finished with much better production, tallied eight sacks, and so on. So, it was looking promising.

Unfortunately, Ray's career was marred by repeated stints on the injured reserve, particularly due to four wrist surgeries. These setbacks marked a significant downturn in his NFL journey, a turn of events that was undoubtedly disappointing for both him and his fans.