12 Players Who Helped Their Draft Stock the Most with Great Bowl Games

Some of the best young players we'll see on Sundays next fall just gave themselves a heck of a send-off on a different day of the week.

With bowl season in the rearview mirror, attention starts turning toward the NFL draft. Players are declaring early, and outgoing seniors are making preparations for all-star games and combines. But before all of that, many players had one last game to shine on the college stage.

For some, that final game served as a stock booster. Thanks to a national stage and a big performance, certain players will see their names rise on draft boards after how they fared in their bowls.

Here's a look at 12 players who saw their stock rise the most as a result of their final college games.

Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State

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Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'0", 216 lbs

Boise State's single-season rushing leader declared for the NFL draft prior to the Fiesta Bowl, and then he went out with a bang by rushing for 134 yards and three touchdowns in the Broncos' 38-30 win over Arizona.

Ajayi scored on a 56-yard run on his first carry and had three scores (including one on a Statue of Liberty play) in the first 18 minutes.

The Broncos didn't run as much in the second half, and Ajayi didn't factor much into the passing game, but his numbers this season show he was a versatile back. He ran for 1,823 yards and 28 touchdowns and caught 50 passes for 535 yards and four scores.

Ajayi is projected by CBS Sports as a late second-round pick, but he could rise up the draft boards of teams looking for a back who can do more than just run the ball.

Erick Dargan, S, Oregon

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Year: Senior

Height, weight: 5'11", 212 lbs

In a game overflowing with high-profile NFL prospects, many of whom have yet to officially put their name into the draft process, it was a rising star for Oregon who stole the show.

Erick Dargan had a breakout senior year, and it continued during the Rose Bowl win over Florida State.

Dargan intercepted his seventh pass of the season, late in the third quarter, toward the end of Florida State's rash of turnovers. Dargan also had eight tackles and forced a fumble.

He has five more interceptions than the rest of Oregon's team, and four in three career postseason games. He'll likely be spying Ohio State's deep passes in the Jan. 12 championship game, or he could be creeping up on the line on run plays as the Ducks' leading tackler with 90.

Paul Dawson, LB, TCU

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Year: Senior

Height, weight: 6'2", 230 lbs

It was Ole Miss' defense that got most of the praise heading into the Peach Bowl, but TCU's defenders made sure they were noticed during that 42-3 beatdown. Paul Dawson was among the most involved, registering one of the five sacks of Bo Wallace as part of his eight tackles.

Dawson's stock had been on the rise for quite some time, but it took a huge leap with how he fared against the Rebels, according to Rob Rang of The Sports Xchange.

"Dawson's quick recognition and agility helped him record several big plays against the Rebels," Rang wrote. "Perhaps most impressively, they came in all three phases of the game—against the run, as a rusher and when dropping into coverage."

Dawson finished his senior year with 136 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, six sacks and four interceptions.

Synjyn Days, RB, Georgia Tech

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Year: Senior

Height, weight: 6'1", 232 lbs

Georgia Tech's triple-option offense produces big numbers and big results, but not a lot of NFL players. That could change this year, as guard Shaq Mason has an outside shot to get drafted in the spring.

Another Yellow Jacket offensive standout who did nothing but improve his chances to make an NFL roster during the impressive Orange Bowl win over Mississippi State is Synjyn Days, a bruising back who showed both power and speed while rushing for 171 yards and three touchdowns. His 69-yard run early in the second half began Tech's takeover.

Days had 924 yards and nine TDs this season, second behind quarterback and primary ball-carrier Justin Thomas. He'll get another chance to improve his stock in Saturday's Medal of Honor Bowl in Charleston, South Carolina.

Dante Fowler, DE, Florida

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Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'2", 261 lbs

The earliest of all the early draft entries, having announced his future in mid-November, Dante Fowler Jr. essentially got a two-game send-off to show what he'll do in the pros—and he made the most of that spotlight.

Fowler had four of his 8.5 sacks in those final two games, logging one in the regular-season finale against Florida State and then taking down East Carolina quarterback Shane Carden three times in the Gators' 28-20 Birmingham Bowl win.

"He only had 5.5 sacks in the first 11 games of the season, and if you watched the combination of technique and rage that he brought to the table in Birmingham, you'd have guessed that number would be closer to 15.5," wrote SB Nation's Bill Connelly.

While his college career might not have been as decorated as expected, Fowler figures to be a hot commodity come draft time.

Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin

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Year: Junior

Height, weight: 6'1", 207 lbs

He was already on the fast track to being one of the first running backs taken in the 2015 draft, but Melvin Gordon made sure his final college game was no different most of the ones he had before deciding to turn pro a year early. And in doing so, Gordon finished the second-best rushing season in FBS history.

Gordon ran for 251 yards and three touchdowns in Wisconsin's overtime win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl, ending his career with 2,587 yards and 29 scores.

He carried the ball a career-high 34 times, tearing through Auburn's run defense to average better than seven yards per touch.

Gordon is rated by Bleacher Report NFL draft expert Matt Miller as the No. 4 running-back prospect, and after spending most of his career as a guy sharing carries, he has shown he can be a featured back.

This season he briefly set the single-game rushing record, going for 408 yards against Nebraska, and had five 200-yard games.

Justin Hardy, WR, East Carolina

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Year: Senior

Height, weight: 6'0", 188 lbs

Some of the most prolific wide receivers in college football history have struggled to catch on in the pros, but Justin Hardy's drive and perseverance could change that trend.

The all-time FBS receptions leader showed that dedication in his final game, battling against one of the best group of defensive backs in the country to put up another big effort.

Hardy, who ends his career with 387 catches for 4,541 yards and 35 touchdowns, caught 11 balls for 160 yards and a first-quarter TD in East Carolina's 28-20 loss to Florida in the Birmingham Bowl. It was his fifth game this season with at least 10 catches and third with 150 or more yards.

Despite being blanketed by the likes of cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III and safety Jalen Tabor, Hardy still managed to get himself open enough to contribute. It's what he's done throughout his career, and Hardy figures to parlay that into a legitimate NFL shot that likely will include getting drafted.

Duke Johnson, RB, Miami (Florida)

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Year: Junior

Height, weight: 5'9", 206 lbs

Miami's history of producing great running backs goes back decades, but none finished with more yards than Duke Johnson.

Despite missing nearly half of last season with a broken ankle, he ran for 3,519 yards and added 719 receiving yards during his career to also finish as the Hurricanes' all-time all-purpose leader.

Johnson officially declared for the draft the morning after Miami lost 24-21 to South Carolina in the Independence Bowl.

The loss came despite him going for 132 yards on 24 carries and also catching five passes for 51 yards. He did fumble late in the game, a turnover that South Carolina capitalized on by scoring a touchdown to take a 10-point lead.

Despite that giveaway, Johnson still showed how hard he can run and that he's fully recovered from previous injuries. CBS Sports projects him as a second-round pick, noting he "shows the 'greasy knees' to cut and accelerate in one fluid motion, eluding would-be tacklers."

Jeremy Langford, RB, Michigan State

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Year: Senior

Height, weight: 6'0", 205 lbs

Running back is the most common position in which players leave college early, so when a rusher stays through his senior year there could be questions about how good he is—as well as how many touches he still has left in him.

Jeremy Langford might face those concerns during the draft-evaluation process, but in Michigan State's Cotton Bowl win he didn't look like someone who should be doubted.

Langford ran for 162 yards and three touchdowns in the 42-41 win over Baylor, tallying more yards than any other player did against the Bears' 16th-ranked run defense. All three of Langford's scores came from within two yards of the goal line, showing his ability to push through the pile and get hard yards, something that will keep him in NFL teams' minds.

After getting only nine carries in his first two seasons—most of which was spent as a special teams player—Langford ran for 2,944 yards and 50 touchdowns the past two years. In 2014 he finished with 1,522 yards and 22 scores.

Tony Lippett, WR/CB, Michigan State

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Year: Senior

Height, weight: 6'3" 190 lbs

Having already established himself as one of the better receivers in the country, Tony Lippett added to his resume toward the end of his senior season by lining up at cornerback. He did full-time double duty in the Cotton Bowl against Baylor, and he even showed off his ability to make a hit on special teams.

Lippett hardly ever left the field.

He had five catches for 74 yards and rushed once for 19 yards on offense, while on defense he had two tackles, a pass breakup and helped draw a rare offensive facemask penalty that kept Baylor from scoring. Instead, the Bears went for a field goal, which was blocked and set up one of the biggest blindside hits of the bowl season.

That's when Lippett laid out Baylor kicker Chris Callahan, causing him to spin in the air before crashing to the ground. 

"Hey, you've got to keep your head on a swivel out there,'' Lippett told Mike Griffith of MLive.com. "He would have done it to me, it is what it is."

Tyler Lockett, WR/KR, Kansas State

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Year: Senior

Height, weight: 5'11", 175 lbs

The career of arguably the greatest offensive player in Kansas State history ended with a heartbreaking loss to UCLA in the Alamo Bowl, but that in no way took away from what Tyler Lockett achieved during his time with the Wildcats.

The school's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and plenty of kick- and punt-return categories had a nice send-off performance.

He had 13 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns, and he had 85 return yards—not including a long punt return for a TD that was called back by penalty.

"Lockett may not be the complete package at receiver, but he is elite at what he does and will consistently challenge defenses over the top," wrote Jon Ledyard of ProFootballSpot.com.

Lockett's senior-year numbers were his best yet, with 106 receptions for 1,515 yards and 11 TDs.

Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota

Year: Redshirt sophomore

Height, weight: 6'4", 250 lbs

The 2015 draft could be one of the best in years for tight ends, and the best of the lot is one who could have stayed in college for two more seasons.

But considering how Maxx Williams played in his final game for Minnesota and throughout 2014, it's not surprising he's making the move to the pros now.

Williams had seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown in the Golden Gophers' 33-17 loss to Missouri, including a highlight-worthy 54-yard TD in which he hurdled a pair of defenders on his way to the end zone.

He decided later that night he was going to turn pro, according to Tim Leighton of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

"Maxx Williams' double-hurdle catch-and-run for a touchdown in Thursday's loss to Missouri in the Citrus Bowl was merely a warm-up to another leap he made hours later," Leighton wrote.

Williams was far and away Minnesota's top receiving threat this season, with 36 receptions for 569 yards and eight TDs. No other player had more than 18 catches.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.