Saban said Dec. 16 that he had received draft grades on his players from 20 NFL teams. He also decried media mock drafts for, in his mind, often being inaccurate and misleading players.
But not until Monday evening did Saban reveal more specifics about where his players were graded by league evaluators.
“We only had one guy that has that high of a grade and he’s not going to be play in the game because he’s injured,” Saban said during his radio show from Orlando. “And that injury may affect his grade, unfortunately, for him, right now.”
Saban was clearly referring to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered a season-ending hip injury against Mississippi State last month.
Yet in saying Tagovailoa was the only player graded to be chosen in the top half of the first round,
Saban dropped a hint that NFL perception of Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and other Tide draft prospects might not be as high as the media’s.
For example, a mock draft published last week by ESPN NFL draft expert Todd McShay projected Jeudy as the third overall pick. Rankings published by ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper last month placed Jeudy as the No. 4 overall prospect.