NFL Combine 2015 Results: Stock Watch for Top Performers from Prospect Showcase

The 2015 NFL Scouting Combine ripped past like a tornado and in the process threw draft boards and stock reports every which way.

As a minor, brief aspect of the entire path to the draft, the combine has a way of garnering gross overreactions that have only been heightened in recent years by the event's growing popularity.

In reality, it serves as an important barometer that allows NFL teams to juxtapose game film with measurements in a controlled, high-pressure environment. It sounds life changing, but really, anything short of a disastrous performance will not alter stock that much.

That said, there are slight alterations—or lack thereof—at critical positions in this year's class now that the combine is a thing of the past. Those can be found below, but keep in mind stock is far from final, as things will continue to change in the months ahead.

Post-Combine Stock Chart for Top Prospects 

Name	Pos.	Stock Movement
Jameis Winston	QB	Up
Marcus Mariota	QB	--
Bryce Petty	QB	Up
Melvin Gordon	RB	--
Ameer Abdullah	RB	Up
Amari Cooper	WR	Up
Kevin White	WR	Up
Jaelen Strong	WR	Up
Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Up
Maxx Williams	TE	--
La'el Collins	OL	Up
Ereck Flowers	OL	Down
Randy Gregory	DE/OLB	Down
Shane Ray	DE/OLB	Down
Alvin Dupree	DE/OLB	Up
Dante Fowler Jr.	DE/OLB	Up
Vic Beasley	DE/OLB	Up
Shaq Thompson	DE/OLB	Down
Trae Waynes	DB	Up
Marcus Peters	DB	--
Jalen Collins	DB	Up
Landon Collins	DB	--

Biggest Riser: Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson

For some, the combine is a lifesaver. 

This year, one of those is Clemson's Vic Beasley. Until a few days ago, his decision to return to school last year instead of capitalizing on massive stock was quite foolish.

Until a few days ago, he was another name lost in the shuffle at arguably the deepest position of the draft. An explosive first step is nice, but a 6'3", 235-pound collegiate listing was a red flag that made him entirely too small at the pro level no matter if his hand wound up in the dirt or he played standing up.

Until a few days ago.

Now the whole process looks foolish instead. Beasley hit Indianapolis with the force of a Mike Tyson punch, weighing in at 6'3" and 246 pounds. With size questions silenced, he then ran a 4.53 40-yard dash, repped 225 pounds on the bench press 35 times and ranked among the best in vertical and broad jumps, as well as the three-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle.

As Bleacher Report's Matt Miller notes, the main concerns with Beasley are out the window:

Every bit of Beasley's collegiate tape now has numbers to back it up. No prospect hit the combine and so vividly destroyed each and every concern.

Beasley didn't need a stock boost per se, as he already figured to go in the first round. Now, though, he might just be the first edge-rusher off the board come draft day.

Biggest Faller: Paul Dawson, LB, TCU

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

In a way, Paul Dawson's stock is on the rise—before the combine he wasn't a household name, a status only obtained due to a rough showing in Indianapolis.

This calls for some background. Dawson was a superb collegiate inside linebacker who led an elite TCU defense last year that wound up ranked in the top 10 in points allowed on average.

In fact, Dawson was so impressive in film that he ranked as Mike Mayock's No. 1 overall linebacker before the combine.

Then Dawson came out flat at 6'0" and 235 pounds and ran a 4.93 40-yard dash. Rotoworld's Josh Norris points out other concerning details:

For his part, Dawson brings up some pretty good points in defense of his showing:

The thing is, this is the time of overreactions—in this case perhaps warranted, too. The point of the combine is to apply these numbers to tape, something that teams may find issue with concerning Dawson.

Perhaps the stock drop is not permanent, as the tape eventually overrides the numbers. Perhaps the stock remains low.

Regardless, Dawson's sluggish showing sticks out.

Biggest Surprise: Jalen Collins Explodes

Not everyone always sees eye to eye on prospects. At times this offseason, LSU's Jalen Collins has been lost behind names such as Trae Waynes, Marcus Peters and even Quinten Rollins and P.J. Williams.

The thing is, those who watched Collins in college know he is an explosive athlete, something that seemed to catch the globe off guard once Collins hit the combine.

There, he weighed in at 6'1" and 203 pounds, otherwise classified as a great size for a league that prefers its defensive backs to be bigger these days. Not only that, he then ran a 4.48 40-yard dash and posted a 36-inch vertical jump and a 124-inch broad jump.

This goes beyond simple measurements, though, as NFL.com's Bryan Fischer helps to explain:

Just like that, Collins is likely a first-round contender in the minds of most, instead of just a few.

Collins has the physical side of things down, and it certainly doesn't hurt that the fundamental side looked better than ever at the biggest job interview of his life.

Biggest Disappointment: Running Backs

Not to pile on a position that touts no first rounders since 2012, but the combine was a disaster. 

Georgia's Todd Gurley could only compete in the bench press and is injured. As a result, Melvin Gordon was the headline act and the only prospect in the minds of many who could flirt with being a first-round pick.

Gordon was explosive at 6'1" and 215 pounds, running a 4.52 40-yard dash that ranked among the best at his position. Let's allow ESPN Stats & Info and Bleacher Report's Cian Fahey to put things into perspective, though:

"

Melvin Gordon's greatest strength is his speed, 4.52 is significantly lower than he needed I suspect.

— Cian Fahey (@Cianaf) February 21, 2015"

What Gordon and the other notable combine participants showed is that future reliable committee contributors at the position litter the 2015 class, but there is not that must-have back in the first round to build an offense around for years to come.

Really, that's not such a bad thing considering most of the league prefers the multi-back approach in the first place. It's a tad disappointing, though, that the position might once again go untouched in the first round of the draft.

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. ET. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.