Texas Football: 5 Longhorns Who Can Raise NFL Draft Status with Strong Bowl Game

Beating Arkansas in the Texas Bowl and finishing the season with a winning record would mean a lot to this entire Longhorn team. It could mean a whole lot more for the guys looking to make a strong impression on some NFL teams.

Defensive tackle Malcom Brown leads the crop of Longhorns with hopes of being an NFL draft pick this spring. Even as an underclassman, another impressive line from the junior would mean a likely first-round selection.

The rest of Texas' candidates have less certain futures. Quandre Diggs, Jordan Hicks, John Harris and Cedric Reed all have their flaws, but they have a golden opportunity to show off their talents against a quality SEC team.

DT Malcom Brown

Eric Gay/Associated Press

Brown's snub by the Big 12 coaches won't matter much if he becomes a first-round pick.

The Big 12 coaches figured out a way to ignore it, but Malcom Brown put together one amazing season for the Longhorns.

"

Emmanuel Ogbah over Malcom Brown, @Big12Conference ?? Good job, good effort.

— Justin Wells (@justinwells2424) December 10, 2014"

Brown has piled up an impressive list of accolades this season, earning recognition from CBS Sports as a first-team All-American. The conference's top tackle in terms of tackles, sacks and tackles for loss has been a force for the much-improved Longhorn defense.

A matchup with Arkansas gives him one more chance to prove he's a first-round talent. We've mentioned the impressive stature of the Razorback offensive line that paves the way for 5.2 yards a pop and allowed only 13 sacks.

It's good on good here, and Brown is a huge performance away from securing first-round money.

CB Quandre Diggs

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Diggs' impressive season took a tough turn against TCU and top receiver Josh Doctson.

Quandre Diggs, for the most part, has had a strong senior season as Texas' top corner. But like the rest of the team, his latest performance put his limitations on full display.

A second-team All-Big 12 performer, Diggs has excelled as the leader of the conference's best pass defense. Opposing quarterbacks have been reluctant to challenge him, and his coverage of West Virginia's Kevin White helped key the team's biggest upset of the season.

Then came TCU, which showed no remorse in picking on the 5'10" senior with Josh Doctson. Diggs was plain outplayed by the 6'4" receiver, who piled up seven catches for 115 yards and a touchdown in the Horned Frogs' decisive win.

Diggs' ball skills, tenacity and pedigree as the brother of former NFL corner Quentin Jammer should earn him a selection this spring, but this performance raised a lot of eyebrows. He was simply overmatched by the type of receiver he'd see on a weekly basis at the professional level.

Unfortunately, Diggs won't get the chance to totally make up for that showing against an Arkansas team that rarely throws the rock. He will, however, be asked to make plays against the run on bigger backs Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins.

Showing that he can get back to playing a more physical brand of football will ease some of the concerns about Diggs' size.

LB Jordan Hicks

Associated Press

Finally healthy, Hicks has played like one of the better linebackers in the country.

Playing his first full season since 2011, senior linebacker Jordan Hicks has looked like he never missed a beat. Now the former 5-star recruit has to show that he can be effective against a power-running offense.

This game is a major test for Texas' entire front seven, which is used to the spread-out passing offenses of the Big 12. Arkansas is a different animal, running the ball and then running it some more behind some massive offensive linemen. 

Hicks has already proven to be an ace on passing downs. A big, physical game against Arkansas would prove he's worthy of some mid-round consideration heading into the pre-draft process.

WR John Harris

John Weast/Getty Images

Can John Harris cap his unlikely run to an NFL career?

A true wild card, John Harris will be one of the most interesting offensive players to watch in this pre-draft process.

Here you have a wideout with prototypical size at 6'2" and 218 pounds who is coming off of a 1,000-yard season by excelling at all levels of the field. He's only the sixth Longhorn to ever pull off that achievement.

Then you have the fact that Harris practically never saw the field for his first four seasons. Going from a career benchwarmer to a top-20 receiver in the nation just doesn't happen.

Much of Harris' draft status will depend on his combine performance, but the Texas Bowl gives him another chance to make an impression. Quarterback Tyrone Swoopes is lost without him as a safety valve, failing to crack over 200 yards in any game where Harris has less than 60 receiving yards.

Another big game from Harris, and teams will start seeing him as found money in the later rounds.

DE Cedric Reed

USA TODAY Sports

Reed has slowed down considerably following his breakout year in 2013.

Cedric Reed began the season as Mel Kiper Jr.'s (subscription required) top-rated defensive end prospect. A lot has changed for the senior pass-rusher since then.

Reed has regressed by every statistical measure in 2014, riding a three-sack game against West Virginia to sneak onto the All-Big 12 second team. Other than that, he has 2.5 sacks, six tackles for loss and no forced fumbles.

Whether Reed had trouble adjusting to Vance Bedford's scheme or simply feasted in 2013 while teams tried to slow Jackson Jeffcoat, he's put his draft status in serious jeopardy. Other than the quarterback Swoopes, nobody needs this game more than Reed.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats and information courtesy of TexasSports.com.