Top 3 prospects who were snubbed from 2024 NFL Combine and which teams they could end up with
The NFL Combine released the list of 321 players invited to this year’s event, which begins in two weeks, an event we’ll have covered here at Sportskeeda. And like every year, the list excludes several very worthy candidates, including three players who starred at the Shrine and Senior Bowls. Yet fret not, as this trio of prospects have busy schedule ahead of them.
2024 NFL Combine snubs
1] Khristian Boyd, DL, Northern Iowa
If you followed our coverage of the Shrine Bowl here at Sportskeeda, or follow me on Twitter, you’ll know how dominant Khristian Boyd was in Frisco, Texas. Day after day, in team activity or one-on-one drills, Boyd made his presence felt. He dominated opponents with power while also showing a large degree of athleticism on the field. At the Shrine Bowl, it was mentioned that Boyd had not yet received a combine invitation, yet he was on the bubble. No invitation arrived in the mail, or email as the case may be.
It is kind of shocking when you look at the film as well as the numbers. Boyd, who measured 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds at the Shrine Bowl, entered the season graded by scouts as a street free agent, then turned in a career campaign. His numbers included 43 tackles, 6.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks. Against FCS champion South Dakota State, Boyd dominated Mason McCormick, a late-round prospect headed for the Combine. He was on the field for 94.5% of the UNI defensive snaps, often playing 80 downs or more each game.
How much interest is there in Boyd after his performance the past six months? Presently he has 30 official predraft visits lined up. The UNI pro day, scheduled for March 18, is expected to be a full house. He’s drawing a lot of interest from the Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, and that list will only grow larger.
In many ways, Boyd is turning into this year’s version of Kobie Turner, the former Wake Forest defensive tackle who participated in the 2023 Shrine Bowl, was not invited to the combine yet was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of last year’s draft and was one of the best defensive rookies in the league last year.
2] Qwan'tez Stiggers, CB, Toronto Argonauts
Stiggers is another Shrine Bowl star I lavished with praise during my daily reports on Sportskeeda as well as on Twitter. He was absolutely dominant day after day in press coverage, consistently shutting down opponents and looking like a professional on the field -- no doubt attributed to his spectacular season in the CFL last year. Stiggers is also a great story, as I explained from the Shrine Bowl, where he interviewed with all the franchises on hand.
Teams were attempting to sign Stiggers straight out of the CFL last year, but the league said “no” and deemed he would have to go through the draft process despite playing professional football. Hence it’s a major surprise that teams did not force the issue and ensure Stiggers received a combine invitation.
So where does a prospect who never played in college work out before the draft? I’m told Stiggers will hold a personal pro day on March 15 at his former high school, Best Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. Fast times should ensure Stiggers ends up in the middle rounds, and he could be selected by the Philadelphia Eagles, a cornerback-needy squad showing a lot of interest in his game.
3] Travis Glover, OT, Georgia State
Glover has been a favorite of mine for five years now, ever since he moved in with the first team as a freshman at Georgia State in 2019, starting every game and lining up at both left and right tackle as well as guard.
Glover first played in the Hula Bowl and was a late callup for the Senior Bowl, dominating every time he took the field and turning heads. It’s impossible to miss Glover, as he measures 6-foot-6 and 338 pounds with 34.5-inch arms hanging from his broad shoulders.
With so many teams in the league needing offensive tackles, it’s shocking that Glover won’t be in Indianapolis for the combine. Yet that has not swayed interest in the big blocker, as he already has 11 top-30 predraft visits on his schedule. Ironically Georgia State, which is located in Atlanta, has its pro day scheduled for March 15, the same day Stiggers is working out for NFL teams.
Glover is working out with former NFL tight end Lee Smith and is scheduled to train with former All-Pro Bob Whitefield in the near future.
Teams presently hot on Glover? The Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals.