2020 NFL draft combine participants announced with usual surprise omissions

Illinois edge Oluwole Betiku Jr., Baylor defensive lineman Bravvion Roy and North Carolina safety Myles Dorn are among the players who did not receive invitations to the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, while TCU had almost as many invitees (seven players) as Texas (4) and Texas A&M (4) combined.

The NFL announced the list of participants on Friday.

The combine will be held Feb. 23-March 2 in Indianapolis.

Betiku had a breakout year in 2019 as a graduate transfer for Illinois, finishing with 36 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 9 sacks. The challenge with Betiku, though, is the lack of tape and experience. Betiku had never played football before moving to the United States from Nigeria, played two years at Serra High School in Gardena, Calif., then was lightly used at USC before transferring to Illinois.

You can read more about him here.

Roy, meanwhile, is one of the strongest players in the draft. His ability to control the line of scrimmage helped pave the way for fellow lineman James Lynch, who entered the draft as a junior after racking up a career-high 13.5 sacks. Roy finished his season with 61 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

You can read more about Roy here.

https://twitter.com/sammyjspina/status/1225966686219751425

And Dorn’s omission was somewhat of a surprise, too, after he finished the season with 83 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions. For his career, Dorn started 33 out of 46 games and finished with 241 tackles and six interceptions. His father, Torin Dorn, played seven seasons in the NFL as a cornerback, while his brother, Torin Jr., is a former N.C. State basketball player who now plays for WKS Slask Wroclaw in Poland.

“Although he wasn’t the most reliable player in deep coverage, Dorn was always the most active defender whenever I turned on the North Carolina defensive tape,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler said. “(Dorn) flies to the ball in pursuit with strong hands to finish the ball carrier to the ground. Dorn has seen plenty of football, which aids his ability to get a head start. He has a legitimate gripe here.”

Click here for a full list of all 337 players who were invited.