NFL Combine 2026: 5 Players Who Got Robbed of an Invite to Indianapolis

The call to Indianapolis never came.

For 319 players, it did — and this week they’ll run routes, lift in the weight room, and interview under the brightest pre-draft lights.

While some blue-chip prospects opt out of certain drills or skip the combine altogether, every year, a handful of prospects who earned their shot simply don’t get one.

History says that’s a mistake. Malcolm Butler wasn’t invited. Neither was Antonio Gates, James Harrison, nor Adam Thielen. The list of combine snubs who became household names is long enough to be a warning.

Here are five players the NFL should have invited in 2026.

2026 NFL Combine Snubs: Key Stats & Draft Projection

Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana

It took six years, but Kaelon Black finally arrived — and the league looked the other way.

In 2025, Black rushed for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns as the featured back for a national championship-winning Indiana program. He wins with patience and low pads, a punishing, north-south style that wears defenses down. His 213-pound frame and pass protection skills make him a natural Day 3 rotational piece with starter upside.

Not getting an invite after that kind of breakout season, on the national stage, is difficult to explain.

Projected: Day 3 / UDFA dark horse

Mikail Kamara, EDGE, Indiana

Two Indiana players snubbed at the same combine is more than a coincidence — it’s an oversight.

Kamara piled up 17.5 sacks across 2023 and 2024 at James Madison before transferring to Indiana, where he started all 15 games for the national champions. His production dipped in 2025, which likely kept the invite away. 

Kamara had just two sacks in 2025 but performed well in the CFP National Championship, tallying four tackles against Miami. While he’s undersized, pass rushers with multi-year production who can win on the biggest stage don’t disappear overnight.

Kamara’s length, motor, and track record at two levels of competition make him a legitimate developmental option off the edge. Teams that miss him here will have to wait for his pro day.

Projected: Day 3 pick

Cyrus Allen, WR, Cincinnati

Speed kills, and Allen has it in abundance.

The Cincinnati wideout posted 51 receptions for 13 touchdowns in 2025 — a scoring rate that reflects his ability to threaten vertically and stress safeties over the top. He lit up the Panini Senior Bowl in January, drawing consistent praise for his acceleration and route crispness.

Allen is a pure field-stretcher: the kind of receiver who doesn’t need to be a No. 1 option to change a game. Every NFL offense is looking for that guy. Someone will find him on Day 3, and he’ll make them look brilliant.

Projected: Day 3 / UDFA dark horse

Tyren Montgomery, WR, John Carroll

D-III receivers almost never get combine invites. They almost never deserve them. Montgomery is the exception.

After a late call-up to the Senior Bowl — typically reserved for FBS talent — he was one of the most consistent performers on the field all week. His size, contested-catch ability, and physicality after the catch drew immediate comparisons to a bigger slot weapon who can shield defenders and punish linebackers on contact.

Level-of-competition concerns are real, but history proves it: Victor Cruz went undrafted from UMass, Willie Snead signed as a UDFA. Small-school Senior Bowl standouts have a track record of making rosters when given a fair shot.

Montgomery deserves one.

Projected: UDFA

Riley Mahlman, OT, Wisconsin

Wisconsin doesn’t often produce offensive linemen who go overlooked.

Mahlman started 37 games across his final three seasons, moving between left and right tackle. That type of versatility will be a selling point at the next level. He protected Big Ten quarterbacks at a program built specifically to develop NFL-ready blockers.

The Badgers’ track record is a known commodity, which makes this snub all the more puzzling. A good pro day could change his trajectory quickly.

Projected: Day 3 / UDFA dark horse