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Players Snubbed From Participating At The NFL Scouting Combine

Check out which players should have been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, but weren’t.

John Owning

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332 players were invited to the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, but there were still a number of players who deserved to get the invitation but didn’t.

The “Underwear Olympics” take place on February 23-29 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Here is the list of official invitees. The reason why an invite to Indianapolis is so important is because the prospects get a great opportunity to showcase their ability on and off the field. The most important activities at the combine take place off the field with interviews and medical tests. On the field, the players can show their athletic ability and how fluid they are in positional drills. The combine can go a long way toward proving a player fits with a particular team.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a few players who were snubbed from the combine.

Aaron Green, RB, TCU

The most notable player missing from the official list of invitees was TCU running back Aaron Green. There are questions as to whether the speedy running back can take the bruising of the NFL game, but he has more than enough ability to deserve an invite to the combine.

It’s too bad that Green won’t be taking part at Lucas Oil Stadium because he would have likely lit up the drills. Green is a lightning fast player who is as explosive and agile of any in this draft. His athletic ability makes him a nightmare to tackle in the open field and a lethal weapon out of the backfield.

By no means was Green going to be picked on the first two days of the NFL draft, but his athletic and playmaking ability makes him a likely candidate to be picked on Day 3. The combine would have been a great opportunity for him to showcase his athleticism in front of all the important decision makers, but he will have another chance at his pro day.

Kevin Byard, S, Middle Tennessee

Like Green, Kevin Byard is likely a Saturday pick, but he more than deserved to be invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. The Middle Tennessee safety is a playmaking machine at safety with 19 career interceptions. He plays with great instincts and he seems to always be around the ball. With the lack of talent at safety in this draft, it is mind boggling that Byard didn’t receive an invite.

The combine would have been a great opportunity for Byard to prove that he has the athleticism to make it in the NFL. On tape, he looks to have a requisite amount of athletic ability to thrive in the NFL, but it is something that definitely needs to be checked off before the NFL draft begins.

This snub is a great example of a player whose stock could take a big hit because he was not able to show his ability in front of decision makers. Luckily, he did get a chance at the Senior Bowl to prove that he belonged, but he still won’t get a chance to show off his athleticism because there won’t be a ton of scouts at his pro day.

Jatavis Brown, LB, Akron

The NFL Scouting Combine was made for a player like Akron’s Jatavis Brown, which is why it is such a shame that he didn’t get invited. The sub 6-foot linebacker lacks the size you want from a player in the box, but he makes up for it with his athleticism and instincts. Brown is a run and chase linebacker who uses his athleticism to slow to the ball and make plays in coverage.

At the moment, there is a ton of concern about Brown’s size and ability to hold up with the physical demands of the NFL, but if he was able to show how much of an athletic freak he is, some of those questions could be thrown by the wayside.

Brown’s best hope is that enough NFL decision makers go to his pro day at Akron, where he can show off his athleticism, but ultimately his stock will likely take a hit because of this snub.

John Owning is a NFL columnist for Football Insiders. He has years of experience covering the NFL, NFL draft and NCAA football. John's work has been featured on the Bleacher Report and DraftBreakdown.com

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