3 Alabama Players Who Can Help Themselves the Most at the 2015 NFL Combine

You probably already know all of the big names in Alabama’s 2015 NFL draft class.

Wide receiver Amari Cooper, safety Landon Collins and running back T.J. Yeldon all decided to forgo their senior seasons to enter the draft and should be the first three Alabama players off the board.

CBSSports.com expects Cooper and Collins to go in the first round, while Yeldon is projected as a second- or third-round pick. Those three are at the NFL Scouting Combine this week and will likely solidify their standing as some of the top players in the draft.

But there are eight other former Crimson Tide players in Indianapolis this weekend who aren’t necessarily slam-dunk prospects.

There’s a lot of room for growth for several Alabama players. Here are three who can make a big difference in their draft stock with strong showings.

Blake Sims

There isn’t much doubt in the top two. Florida State's Jameis Winston and Oregon's Marcus Mariota are a cut above the rest in this year’s quarterback class.

The rest is a little convoluted.

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UCLA product Brett Hundley is probably the No. 3 quarterback, though after a little bit of a drop-off. Then there’s a group that includes Baylor’s Bryce Petty and Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson.

Simply put, Sims can make some moves.

The biggest concern with Sims is obviously his size. He stands 6'0" tall, and while that isn’t a death knell for quarterbacks anymore, it still doesn’t help.

Otherwise, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com mentioned some of his weaknesses like accuracy and decision-making.

If Sims can impress scouts when he throws, he could make a team with a mid-round quarterback need rethink its pick. He isn’t going to overtake Winston or Mariota, but he can still make things interesting after those two are off the board.

Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean notes he’s not lacking for confidence either:

Austin Shepherd

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Shepherd may suffer from the curse of the tweener.

With an arm length of 32.875 inches, he isn’t quite long enough to be an elite tackle, where he played in college. But at 315 pounds, he may be a little too small to be a guard.

Right now, Zierlein pegs him as “an NFL backup with the potential to become a starter.” Shepherd can show that he can be a starter this week.

So far, Draft Breakdown's Joe Marino suggests he hasn’t exactly impressed:

Still, Shepherd is relishing his role as one of the draft’s more unknown prospects.

“You just have to go out there and show what you’re made of,” Shepherd said Wednesday, according to Marq Burnett of The Anniston Star. “There’s really no pressure. You just have to go out and perform and get someone to notice you. Just one team has to call your name so get someone to notice you and call your name.”

DeAndrew White

White was a valuable weapon at Alabama.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

He benefited from playing next to a superstar wideout in Cooper and could make defenses pay when they keyed too heavily on No. 9.

But a season-ending knee injury in 2012 is giving NFL teams pause over whether he will be able to make the jump to the next level and be an effective player there.

At 5’11”, White’s size won’t help him stand out in the least. Therefore, displaying his speed will be key.

"I just have to go out there and show what I can do," White said, according to AL.com’s Michael Casagrande. "People might think I can't run or I can't do this, I can't do that. I guess we'll see. I don't have anything to say back to it. Just watch the film."

The 40-yard dash can be an overrated event, with teams putting too much stock into how slow or how fast a guy runs (see: Raiders, Oakland). For White, however, it will be critical in his evaluation.

His speed made him a track star in high school. Now, he needs to prove that it can help him carve out a successful career in the NFL.

Marc Torrence is the Alabama lead writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes and reporting were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Follow on Twitter @marctorrence.