The finalized list of 330+ NFL Draft Prospect combine invites is out, and only 20 of the invites went to FCS prospects, which may make some fans shake their heads. We felt like there were a few surprises too, especially after some of the individual performances at postseason all-star games. So we took a look at the 10 biggest FCS snubs for the 2018 NFL Combine, which will be held later this month.
[divider]MORE: Compare Any Two College Players or Any Two FCS Teams[divider]
NFL COMBINE: Here are the 20 FCS prospects invited
Does this mean these guys won't have a chance to be drafted? Not at all. Non-combine invitees get drafted all the time, and the guys invited to the combine don't always get drafted. It goes both ways, but it does generally help to be invited, plus a player can improve their stock from looking like a free agent type pickup to maybe a day two pick. For these 10 FCS standouts, the next step is dominating their on-campus pro days and impressing teams in one-on-one interviews, which many of them will.
So here they are, the biggest 10 FCS snubs by the 2018 NFL Combine:[divider]
NO. 10 THROUGH NO. 6
10. Donovan Olumba, Portland State, CB (7th to FA projection)
9. Brett Taylor, Western Illinois, ILB (7th to FA and trending upwards)
8. Mike Basile, Monmouth, FS (7th to FA)
7. Matthew Oplinger, Yale, OLB (7th to FA and trending upwards)
6. Eben Ogundeko, Tennessee State, DE (7th to FA projection)[divider]
5. Andrew Ankrah, James Madison, DE
THE SKINNY: Ankrah had an outstanding senior season for the national runners up, and truly a great career for the Dukes. He has been trending upwards in recent projections, and is viewed as a day three draft pick possibility by NFLDraftScout. Along with being left out of the NFL Combine, he was also ignored by the three biggest postseason all-star games — so he'll need to have a good pro day at JMU, and maybe get an invited by a nearby ACC school to a bonus pro day — which many top FCS prospects do.[divider]
4. Maea Teuhema, Southeastern Louisiana, OG
THE SKINNY: Teuhema is actually the only FCS junior to declare early this year, and the former LSU player is viewed as a day three type of prospect, just like Ankrah above. Teuhema and his older brother Sione are both strong draft possibilities this year, adding to their story. Maea is known as a very athletic offensive guard.[divider]
3. Cole Reyes, North Dakota, SS
THE SKINNY: Reyes had a great career with the Fighting Hawks, and was invited to the Shrine Game as a result. Over the past year, Reyes has consistently been listed as a day three draft pick (6th/7th round), and he'll have a chance to back that up when UND's pro day comes along later this spring.[divider]
2. P.J. Hall, Sam Houston State, DT
THE SKINNY: Hall is not only a wrecking ball on the defensive line, he also is a big-time kick/punt block artist who is second all-time on the FCS list for blocked kicked (14), while also piling up 95.5 tackles for loss. He is an absolute load to deal with and he did get an invite to the Shrine Game and performed well — adding more question marks as to why he didn't get an invite. His special teams work will turn heads, too.[divider]
1. Daurice Fountain, Northern Iowa, WR
THE SKINNY: Truly the most surprising omission of them all, Fountain nabbed offensive MVP honors at the Shrine Game and has been trending rapidly for months now. He is viewed as a 4th to 5th round pick by many scouting services, yet he was not one of the 330+ players asked to come to the combine. Fountain already is in good shape with the draft, but he'll be working to improve his stock with a pro day performance and one-on-one meetings with teams.
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