When it comes to making NFL Draft decisions, Nick Saban says it’s all about getting the correct information to his players
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If there’s one standout clip of ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., it’s the classic “Who in the hell is Mel Kiper?” from the 1994 NFL Draft.
While that comment was not made by Nick Saban, it may as well have been.
Alabama’s coach didn’t go that far with his comments on Tuesday but he came close as Saban was asked to share the communication and dialogue that his program has with its players before they make their decisions in regards to any NFL Draft.
Here’s what Saban had to say when asked about all the players on his roster currently debating whether to return to Alabama next season or turn pro and declare early for the 2020 NFL Draft.
“Look, we have, I think, nine guys that are juniors that got evaluated by the junior committee. And look, our job is to give them the correct information, so that they can make good decisions based on the reality of their status. We gave them that information,” Saban said on Tuesday. “Some guys have first-round grades, I’m not going to tell you they don’t, and everybody’s got to make a decision about what’s best for their future and, you know, we feel like our job is is to make sure that we give them the correct information because there’s a lot of misinformation, you know, out there.
“Whether it’s mock drafts or, who is the evaluator, and what we try to do is make sure we get the information from the actual people who draft. I know there’s a lot of media guys out there and even you, but I’m not sure you draft anybody do you have a pick, you know, when the draft comes? So, we try to get the information from the people who will actually pick the players, which is sometimes not congruent with what you all think — no disrespect to your ability to evaluate.”
That’s the clean version of “Who in the hell is Mel Kiper?” from Saban.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
