Former Broncos first-round pick shockingly gets another shot with Titans

The Denver Broncos haven't had the greatest success in the first round of the NFL Draft over the last decade. Unfortunately, it's a big reason why the franchise finds itself in the unfortunate hole it's currently in.

Since 2015, the Denver Broncos first-round picks have been Shane Ray, Paxton Lynch, Garett Bolles, Bradley Chubb, Noah Fant, Jerry Jeudy, Pat Surtain II, and Bo Nix. They also spent a total of three first-round picks on Russell Wilson and Sean Payton. As you can see, it's not the most illustrious list and if we're talking in baseball terms, the batting average is a little low.

Shockingly, one of the players on that list who hasn't played in any NFL game since 2018, is getting another shot to make an NFL team in 2024. That player is 2015 first-round pick Shane Ray, a pass rusher who looked like he was well on his way to being part of a dynamic duo with Von Miller at one point in time before injuries derailed his progress and hopes of being a franchise cornerstone in Denver. He is now getting a shot at reviving his NFL career as a member of the Tennessee Titans.

Former Denver Broncos first-rounder Shane Ray resurfaces with Titans

In terms of playing professional football, Ray's opportunities didn't just disappear in 2018 after his time with the Broncos ended. He's gotten shots in the NFL before with the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, and he also spent a couple of years in the CFL as a member of the Toronto Argonauts.

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan was an assistant with the Denver Broncos from 2010-15, so he is obviously very familiar with Ray, who won a Super Bowl with the Broncos in that 2015 season.

Ray was injured in his final season with the Toronto Argonauts, but he added "Grey Cup Champion" to his list of accomplishments in football on top of already having won a Super Bowl. Now, the goal is going to be figuring out a way to be a factor in a pass rush rotation once again.

The Titans provide him a great opportunity to do just that as they're not exactly known for having the deepest outside linebacker position group in the league right now. He'll get a chance over the course of the preseason as well as the duration of training camp to not only impress the Titans but the 31 other NFL teams around the league.

The Broncos traded up to get Ray in the 2015 NFL Draft after he had a surprising fall on draft night. He was expected to go somewhere in the top 10-15 picks but poor workout numbers pushed him down the board, and the Broncos figured out a way to snag him, adding him to a pass rush that already included Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and Shaquil Barrett.

Despite the depth they already had, Ray added four sacks in his rookie year and had a bit of a breakout in year two with 8.0 sacks and 21 QB hits. He was supposed to take a huge step forward in 2017 but suffered a wrist injury in training camp and it completely derailed his professional career from that point on. It's going to be fascinating to see what he's still got in the tank at the age of 31 as he competes for a spot with the Titans.