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RBs Carrying Momentum Going Into 2015 NFL Draft As Running Game Steals Show At Senior Bowl

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By @Spencer_NFL

Ameer Abdullah Senior Bowl

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

With a weak crop of quarterbacks and stellar edge rushers, it’s not a surprise that both teams relied on a heavy dose of the running game. What was somewhat surprising was how much success each side had on the ground.

Ameer Abdullah of the Nebraska Cornhuskers was clearly the class of the field, as the Senior Bowl Most Valuable Player averaged more than 10 yards per carry. Besides leading all running backs with 73 yards on the ground, his four receptions were also a game-high. His vision and acceleration were on display and he may have worked his way into the second round of the draft. It’s also important to note his toughness, as he was fighting through a hamstring injury all week.

Minnesota Golden Gophers RB David Cobb and Yale Bulldogs RB/FB Tyler Varga also improved their stocks. Cobb finished with 69 yards and a score on 11 carries, while Varga had 31 rushing yards, 39 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Cobb currently has a Round 4 grade and Varga is a projected sixth-round pick. For the South, Auburn‘s Cameron Artis-Payne and Northern Iowa David Johnson showed flashes as well.

Of course, the running backs wouldn’t have played so well if it wasn’t for the offensive line opening up huge running lanes. Besides Pittsburgh Panthers right tackle T.J. Clemmings, there weren’t any projected Day 1 or Day 2 picks on the North line. Instead, it was Day 3 options, such as Rob Havenstein of Wisconsin, Ali Marpet of Hobart and Jamil Douglas of Arizona State, who stood out. Not only did all three excel in run and pass blocking during the game, but all three played multiple positions this week as well.

As expected, none of the quarterbacks played at a high level. Only Baylor QB Bryce Petty completed more than 65 percent of his passes, and Oregon State‘s Sean Mannion was the only one to throw a touchdown. The big winner at QB this week was Brett Hundley of UCLA. While most were upset he decided against playing in the Senior Bowl, none of the quarterbacks played well enough to overtake Hundley as the No. 3 QB.

There’s still a long way to go before the draft, but the Senior Bowl running backs are the ones carrying momentum into the combine. Day 2 of the draft should be dominated by running backs, and today’s game showed why.
Shawn Spencer is an NFL Draft writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Spencer_NFL, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

Related:
 2015 NFL Draft: Top 35 Big Board
 2015 NFL Draft: Senior Bowl Position Rankings

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