3 biggest 2023 NFL Scouting Combine snubs

There will be 319 NFL Draft hopefuls descending upon Indianapolis in a couple of weeks or the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Which players not invited to Indianapolis could be considered Combine snubs?

I asked BBV’s Chris Pflum for his thoughts. Here are his three biggest Combine snubs:

Mohamoud Diabate (LB, Utah) - Diabate might be the biggest snub of the Combine. Utah has fielded a very good defense as they’ve vied for the Pac-12 championship in recent years, so we know there are eyes on them. Diabate is a long (6-foot-3, 230-pound) and athletic linebacker who can run, play man coverage on tight ends and running backs, and be physical playing downhill. He has the tools to be a potential Top 100 pick, and a good week at the Combine certainly could have propelled him there.

Trevor Reid (OT, Louisville) - Reid is one of the more athletic offensive linemen in the country. He’s reportedly has a sub-5 second 40 time and a 33-inch vertical. The NFL loves having big guys test well, and Reid could have put on a show for the NFL Network. It also would have been a great opportunity for Reid to make some money for himself, showing off his athletic tools with the eyes of the NFL on him.

B.J. Thompson (EDGE, Stephen F. Austin) - A small-school snub, Thompson has the tools that scouts love to see in pass rushers. He’s long — at 6-foot-5, with 34 1/2 inch arms — and flexible around the edge. He made Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” in 2022 with a (reported) 4.56 second 40-yard dash, an 11-3 broad jump, and a 40-inch vertical. He could have tested out similarly to Josh Sweat or Lorenzo Carter, and the NFL definitely would have taken notice.

Here are a couple of other opinions on Combine snubs.

Here is the Draft Network’s list of five Combine snubs:

Marte Mapu, LB, Sacramento State
Karl Brooks, DL, Bowling Green
Joey Fisher, OL Shepherd
Mohamoud Diabate, LB, Utah
Desjuan Johnson, DL, Toledo

Windy City Gridiron listed seven snubs:

Marte Mapu, LB, Sacramento State
Karl Brooks, DL, Bowling Green
Aubrey Miller, LB, Jackson State
Trevor Reid, OT, Louisville
B.J. Thompson, Edge, Stephen F. Austin
Carlton Martial, LB, Troy
Robert Soderholm, LS, VMI

NOTE: This post was requested by BBV reader ‘Kölnerbigblue.’