An Alabama player who wasn’t invited to the NFL scouting combine could end up being drafted ahead of at least one or two who were.

It’s Jared Mayden, a starting safety for the Crimson Tide last season who led the team with four interceptions.

Even though he wasn’t among the 10 Alabama players invited to the combine, Mayden could still end up being a middle round draft pick according to a respected NFL draft analyst.

“I’m a fan of his,” said Daniel Jeremiah, a former NFL scout who now works for NFL Network. “… I thought he was somebody that definitely belonged at the combine.”

Jeremiah believes Mayden will not only end up getting drafted but that he’ll end up being a fourth or fifth round pick.

Jeremiah ranks Mayden as the 114th-best overall player in this year’s NFL draft.

While Mayden won’t get a chance to work out for teams in advance of the draft, NFL scouts timed the 6-foot, 205-pound Texas native in the mid-4.4 range in the 40-yard dash at Alabama’s junior pro day last spring.

That time will help him.

It seems like his performance at the Senior Bowl probably will, too.

During that week in Mobile, Mayden played some safety, played some cornerback and flashed some of the skills that factor into Jeremiah and others in the NFL scouting world believing he has a good shot at ultimately being drafted.

“He can play in the deep half,” Jeremiah said. “He can cover in the slot. He can match up with tight ends. He plays very aggressive. You’ll see the big hits. Just needs to do a better job wrapping up and finishing some tackles, but he’s got good ball skills and he can run. There’s a lot to like about him and I think he’s a good player.”

Matt Zenitz is an SEC football and basketball reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mzenitz.