5 SEC players who helped themselves at Senior Bowl, and 4 who didn't

MOBILE, Ala. — Even with so many of the nation’s premier players on display, a lot of scouts already have their minds made up at the Senior Bowl.

We saw it last year with Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott, who stood out the whole week of practice and then was named MVP of the actual game. Still, he came to Mobile with a mid-round grade and left with a mid-round grade.

That being said, there’s still plenty of incentive for all of these SEC players — more than 20 are on hand for the event — to ball out as much as possible and get the attention of coaches and GMs. Very few of them are Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who can always fall back on his degree in aerospace engineering.

Saturday’s game is a lot less important than the practices that were conducted Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The game itself is too rigid and rushed, so it doesn’t really resemble what we see on Sunday afternoons.

Here are five prospects from the best conference in America who helped themselves this week, as well as four who didn’t.

Tennessee QB Joshua Dobbs

Measuring 6-foot-3 and 216 pounds, he appears to have added a little muscle in the offseason since he was listed at 210 with the Volunteers. One former NFL general manager told me that he has been pleasantly surprised with Dobbs’ footwork after spending so much time in college operating out of the shotgun. He has good zip on the ball, too.

Every team in the league is looking for the next Prescott. While Dobbs might not be that guy, he’s trending in the right direction.

DRAFT STOCK: UP

LSU WR Travin Dural

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 203 pounds in Baton Rouge, he’s actually a little shorter at 6-1 and 206. At times, it doesn’t come across as if Dural (below) is giving max effort when running his routes. His hands have proven to be inconsistent throughout, plus he has been stripped of the football and fumbled twice after actually making a catch.

Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports

Everyone assumes the Tigers’ passing game has struggled due to poor quarterback play, but maybe the receivers aren’t as good as advertised.

DRAFT STOCK: DOWN

Alabama TE O.J. Howard

His height and weight in college were pretty accurate, as he arrived in Mobile a little under 6-foot-6 and an impressive 249 pounds. Simply speaking, he’s a monster compared to these linebackers and safeties. Howard has caught the ball cleanly on a regular basis, plus he’s the No. 1 blocking tight end in the entire draft.

Perhaps underutilized by the Crimson Tide, Howard gives the impression of having a bright NFL future as a first-round pick.

DRAFT STOCK: UP

Mississippi State WR Fred Ross

Not nearly as tall as the 6-foot-2 he was generously listed at in the program in Starkville, he’s actually 6-foot 1/2. His weight (203) was about right, though. In terms of his on-the-field skills, Ross isn’t the most fluid route runner. The offense run by the Bulldogs has been criticized for not featuring a conventional route tree.

Ross has spent lots of time with the Dallas Cowboys this week and would surely love to reunite with Prescott, but he hasn’t made himself any money.

DRAFT STOCK: DOWN

Ole Miss TE Evan Engram

One of the more intriguing height and weight measurements at the Senior Bowl, he came in at 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds, which is a pound heavier than he was in Oxford. More of a receiver than a tight end, Engram has run crisp routes and caught everything thrown his way. Linebackers can’t stay with him, plain and simple.

Unlike Howard, he’s not much of a blocker. But a creative offensive mind in the NFL can surely use a pass-catching machine like Engram.

DRAFT STOCK: UP

Alabama LB Ryan Anderson

A menacing 6-foot-2 and 253 pounds at ‘Bama, he’s now up to 258. When Anderson was at his best in college, he attacked the line of scrimmage and rushed the passer. But when he’s been asked to play in coverage this week, he’s had trouble keeping up with backs and tight ends. Then he missed Day 3 due to injury.

There’s a place in the NFL for a tackler of his ability. Nevertheless, Anderson doesn’t appear to be a three-down player right now.

DRAFT STOCK: DOWN

Alabama DT Dalvin Tomlinson

Clearly, coach Nick Saban doesn’t exaggerate the heights and weights of his players. They’re already big enough. While with the Tide, Tomlinson (below) was listed at 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds. Here in Mobile, he measured 6-3 and 312. Lost in the shuffle to some degree as a collegian surrounded by so many stars, he’s been hard to handle in 1-on-1 work.

Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports

Built like a fire hydrant, there’s reason to believe he could be an effective one-gap penetrator at the next level.

DRAFT STOCK: UP

Auburn DB Rudy Ford

Another player not as big as he was professed to be on campus, his 5-foot-11, 200-pound frame is an inch shorter and five pounds lighter than the Tigers led us to believe. Having to face tight ends like Howard and Engram will be the norm for Ford in the NFL, so he’s at an automatic disadvantage. That’s a concern.

Unfortunately, Ford got hurt on Day 1. Late-round prospects like him need as many reps as possible in front of scouts.

DRAFT STOCK: DOWN

Florida LB Alex Anzalone

An oddity at events like this, he actually measured exactly as he did in college at 6-foot-3 and an even 240 pounds. If you’re looking for the ball during full-team work, just find No. 34. Anzalone is one of those linebackers that’s seemingly always in the right place at the right time. Clearly, he has instincts for the position.

Despite the fact that he doesn’t have a lot of tape from his career with the Gators, it certainly feels like he belongs among the country’s elite.

DRAFT STOCK: UP

John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.