Senior Bowl 2015: NFL Prospects Who Benefited Most from Saturday's Results

The 2015 Senior Bowl saw the North crush the South 34-13 on Saturday in Mobile, Alabama, and strong performances from running backs stole the show.

However, the NFL doesn't exactly hold players at that position in high regard when it comes to drafting them early. No back has been chosen in the first round since 2012.

Justin Higdon of Draft Breakdown noted how the Senior Bowl didn't inspire any optimism about the perceptibly thin crop of talent at quarterback:

There were a number of other NFL prospects who bolstered their stocks with a great week of practice and carried it over onto the gridiron. Read on for analysis on a few who stood out in Saturday's game.

La'el Collins, OL, LSU

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron runs as complicated of a system as any in the college game, so anyone coming from that program is capable of making an instant NFL splash. Look no further than receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, receivers from last year's historic 2014 class.

Next in line to fill in as an immediate starter figures to be La'el Collins. Already considered a top-tier prospect before Mobile, Collins may have vaulted into the top spot at left tackle.

Eric Galko of Optimum Scouting argues that Collins is fully capable of playing tackle in the pros, even as some analysts see him better suited at guard:

NEPatriotsDraft.com's Mike Loyko had even higher praise for Collins as he witnessed Saturday's game unfold:

Collins does indeed have a vicious streak to his blocking style and can really get after that in the running game. What is most impressive is Collins' quickness and ability to hold up in pass protection.

After being listed at 321 pounds at LSU, Collins tipped the scales in Mobile at 308 pounds, which he seemed somewhat surprised about. That is testament to the fact that Collins kept himself in shape after football season and arrived at the Senior Bowl well-prepared.

Being groomed in a pro-style offense and putting in the work to live up to or even exceed the hype at the Senior Bowl suggest Collins is indeed worthy of being chosen quite early in the first round.

Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami (Ohio)

A four-year NCAA basketball player for the RedHawks (h/t Sports-Reference.com), Rollins is still rather green on the gridiron. But what an impression he has made already with just one year of college experience.

As can be discerned from the video above, the ability Collins has to high point the ball is exceptional, and he closes quickly on the ball to show off nice recovery skills.

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah liked Rollins before Saturday's showcase, implying that he has tremendous natural instincts:

Hustle Belt pointed out a fact that is too pertinent to ignore when contemplating Rollins' potential:

Technique is something Collins still has to learn the finer points of, something he acknowledged on Friday in citing his limited college experience.

"I only played 12 games," Rollins said, per Dolphins.com's Alain Poupart. "A lot of these guys have been playing in the same system from high school to college, and I only had one year, only had 12 games. The more looks I get, the better I'm going to get at it."

Nevertheless, the fact that he got a Senior Bowl bid, much less stood out among the cornerbacks, is quite special. In his January 20 mock draft for CBSSports.com, Dane Brugler had Rollins chosen 27th overall to the Dallas Cowboys.

The pass-heavy modern NFL era boosts the value of players like Rollins by default. What also won't hurt him is his willingness to hit, something he demonstrated at Miami with 72 total tackles to go with seven interceptions this past season.

Scouts could check production off the list in evaluating Rollins. After the Senior Bowl, he certainly appears to pass the eye test alongside many of the draft's premier players.

Carl Davis, DT, Iowa

Matthew Holst/Getty Images

Frequent double-teams and an inconsistent motor—perhaps the promise of the NFL on the horizon, too—prevented Davis from having tremendous production in 2014.

After a season where he had 36 total tackles, though, Davis turned it on in Mobile and had to have caught the eye of NFL talent evaluators in the process, possibly vaulting into the first-round conversation.

Charles Davis of NFL Network noticed Davis' impact on Saturday's game:

Even before Davis was blowing up the South's backfield on Saturday, Bleacher Report draft expert Matt Miller felt the Iowa product was among the top three standouts in practice:

Davis is listed at 6'5" and 315 pounds, but he has extraordinary quickness for his size and has learned to better harness his power by lowering his pad level. That makes for quite a combination that even NFL interior linemen will find hard to block even when Davis is a rookie.

In an interesting, albeit loose, parallel to Rollins, basketball aided Davis' development in a considerable way, as he told the Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett:

"

I'd like to attribute all my athletic success to playing backyard basketball. Everybody used to come over to my house after school -- we'd just play all day and, even in the summer when we didn't have school, I'd just play morning till night till I couldn't play no more. I feel like that gave me an advantage, now that I look back on it, just being able to play against some competition and just helped me to be able to move well for a guy my size.

"

Speaking of Detroit, perhaps the Lions might consider acquiring Davis toward the end of the first round, since they may lose Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley or both in free agency this offseason.

There is still plenty of time before April 30, when the first round of the draft commences. Other teams are sure to be interested in Davis, and he may even go before the Lions choose at No. 23 overall.

The NFL Scouting Combine is an ideal showcase for Davis to flash his unique athleticism in individual drills.

What's important for Davis and the other top prospects is to carry over momentum from strong Senior Bowl appearances and keep grinding until draft day. Those with NFL dreams will only be fueled to work harder the closer the date gets.

Note: Stats courtesy of CFBStats.com.