Shane Ray and other Tigers look to measure out well and impress at NFL Combine

This week's NFL Scouting Combine could go a long way toward determining Shane Ray's future for reasons mostly unrelated to his efforts on the football field.

Mizzou's dominant defensive end proved his worth as a pass rusher by breaking the school record with 14 1/2 sacks to earn SEC Defensive Player of the Year and unanimous All-American honors. But before he signs a massive contract to go up against bigger, stronger guards and tackles every Sunday, he'll need to prove he has the size of his soon-to-be peers.

"If he's at 255 (pounds), he's going to be in good shape," says Ourlads' general manager and national scout Dan Shonka. "But if he's at 235 and shorter than 6-3, he's going to slide down the elevator shaft."

There could be a significant drop even if Ray doesn't match the Tigers' official roster, which lists him at at 6-3 and 245 pounds. NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said in a conference call the majority of pass rushers in this year's class need to add some size and strength, but Ray appears to have the best first step off the line.

If he grades out well, the SEC's leader with 22 1/2 tackles for loss could easily be a top 10 pick, and he might even surpass 2001's No. 4 overall pick, defensive lineman Justin Smith, as the highest-drafted player in Mizzou history. Shonka even likes Ray better than Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory, the one pass rusher ahead of Ray in most mock drafts.

He'll be joined in Indianapolis by former Tigers teammate Markus Golden, who measured out at a little taller than 6-2 and 255 pounds at the Senior Bowl last month. Shonka says Golden could go in the second round, but for both him and Ray, their success could depend a lot on schemes.

Defending the run or dropping back into coverage as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 could expose their weaknesses, although both are good enough athletes to get looks at multiple positions. Still, they don't have the proven versatility of two other Missouri seniors invited to this week's Combine.

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Shonka says left tackle Mitch Morse should benefit from playing almost everywhere on the Tigers' offensive line, as well as the durability he showed by starting the last 39 games of his career. Size will also be a concern with Morse, but Shonka expects a team will take a chance on the second-team All-SEC tackle in the middle rounds.

Marcus Murphy's greatest asset at the next level will be his speed, so it's no surprise Shonka says scouts will be interested in the all-purpose back's 40 time this week. Mayock believes Murphy's ability to make an NFL roster depends on his special teams success, although Shonka sees some other valuable skills as well.

"People know that he's a third-down type back and a return guy," says Shonka, a former scout for the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Kansas City Chiefs. "I think on the high end he'd be a fourth-round choice, and on the bottom end probably a sixth."

The SEC Special Teams Player of the Year finished his career with more than 4,900 all-purpose yards, and he was the only player in the country to score as a running back, a wide receiver, a punt returner and a kick returner last fall. An injury to sophomore Morgan Steward kept Murphy from playing much as a slot receiver, but he has good enough hands to perhaps get a chance in the NFL if he can demonstrate capable route running.

Mizzou senior wide receivers Bud Sasser and Jimmie Hunt are among those who graduated and won't be at the Combine, but Shonka says that certainly doesn't preclude them from finding a spot on an NFL roster next fall. In fact, he'd take them before signing a more highly touted former Tiger receiver who will be in Indianapolis, Dorial Green-Beckham.

"I wouldn't touch him with a 10-foot pole," Shonka says. "You don't need guys like that on your team. You can't trust him."

Green-Beckham lost his spot on the Tigers' roster following the 2013 season after two arrests for marijuana and an incident in which he allegedly pushed a woman down stairs. Mayock says players with off-the-field issues generally don't pan out, though he also noted Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl wide receiver Dez Bryant as a notable exception.

But Mayock still has Beckham as the draft's No. 4 receiver, even though he transferred to Oklahoma and didn't play last season. He has significant athleticism to go with a 6-6, 225-pound frame that helped the former No. 1 recruit lead Mizzou with 59 catches, 883 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore.

Perhaps his biggest test at the Combine will be the player interviews as teams try to learn more about the mental side of future draft picks. The rest of the Tigers shouldn't have much trouble with that portion, though Ray may have to field some questions about the late hit that got him ejected in the first half of the SEC Championship Game.

Those kinds of incidents can fuel plenty of meaningless speculation in the coming months, especially since there's a lot more time to fill than there is activity to fill it between now and the April 30 draft.

You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter at @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.