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Just because a player is drafted in the first-round doesn't mean he's a lock to start right away. Take Shane Ray, for example.

The Broncos traded up to choose the Missouri pass-rusher with the 23rd overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, then immediately sat him behind veteran DeMarcus Ware. Ray didn't start a game in his rookie season, totaling 15 tackles and four sacks as a situational defender.

It was more of the same in 2016. Ware was penciled in to start opposite Von Miller at outside linebacker, the same configuration that helped win the Super Bowl the previous year. That is, until Ware was bitten by the injury bug, forcing his removal from the lineup and the insertion of Ray.

The Broncos' defense didn't miss a beat.

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Led by Miller's 13.5 takedowns, Denver finished third in the NFL in sacks (42) and fourth in total defense. They were buoyed by Ray, who doubled his sack total, jumping from four to eight. He also finished with the team's second-best pass-rushing rating (78.3), according to Pro Football Focus, and his overall PFF grade took a leap of more than 30 points last year:

There's reason to believe he'll make another huge leap in 2017. But don't take my word for it ...

With Ware out of the picture, the result of his abrupt offseason retirement, Ray finally was handed a full-time role at outside linebacker. And he's put in the work to reflect his new responsibilities, often sharing videos of his intense training on social media:

Momentum and job security on his side, Ray isn't aiming merely for double-digit sacks. His goals are much, much loftier -- one per game, 16 total.

"Nobody can block me for a whole game," Ray said, via the Broncos' official website. "One sack a game for me is equivalent to 16 games -- that's 16 sacks. That could lead the league, not to mention playoffs or any of that stuff. That's how I break stuff down for me and that's what I'm going to do."

The Broncos haven't had a defender reach 16 sacks in a season since Miller logged 18.5 in 2012. It is not an easy feat. Consider: Last year's Defensive Player of the Year, Oakland's Khalil Mack, recorded "only" 11 sacks. Mack's career high? 15.

Working against Ray is torn wrist ligament he suffered in late July that is scheduled to keep him sidelined for six-to-eight weeks. However, the Broncos hold out hope he'll be ready to play in Week 2, and if Ray winds up missing just one game this season, a breakout performance is well within reach.

In all likelihood, Ray will fall short of his goal. But the 24-year-old, entering his all-important third NFL year, will try his hardest to prove nobody can, in fact, block him.

That motivation alone vaults Ray among the league's breakout stars, soon to become a household name.