HOOVER, Ala. -- Alabama coach Nick Saban is advocating for the NFL Draft Advisory Board to refrain from delivering feedback on draft status to college underclassmen until the conclusion of bowl season.
Alabama has had as many underclassmen consider an early jump to the NFL draft as any team in the country since Saban's program began turning out first-round picks annually in 2008. But while underclassmen leaving Alabama early is nothing new, it was a new problem for Saban last season when players' preparation for a playoff game against Ohio State, he said, was adversely affected by the draft feedback they had received.
College underclassmen have until a Dec. 15 deadline to apply for feedback from the NFLDAB, which is before the bowl season starts.
"I think a rule that says you don't get information to players on draft status until after they've completed their college competition would be beneficial," Saban said at SEC Media Days on Wednesday.
Saban's call for a later return of draft feedback will be viewed as excuse making by some, though the coach never attributed the loss to Ohio State to the issue.
In fact, later on Wednesday, Saban told SEC Network that his comments were not an excuse for losing to Ohio State.
"It wasn't an excuse at all for losing to Ohio State," Saban said. "There is no excuse. We didn't play well. It's my responsibility and I didn't manage it as well as I should have."
A year ago, reform to the draft advisory board's feedback system set a soft maximum of five players per each school that can submit an application for feedback. However, in certain cases when merited, and at the discretion of the board, more than five players from one school can submit for feedback. The reform also changed the feedback itself, reducing responses to players to one of three categories: a first-round grade, a second-round grade, or a recommendation to return to school. Saban said six Alabama players submitted for feedback last season.
"We're trying to get ready for a game and all of a sudden a guy finds out he's a first-round draft pick, or a guy who thought he was a first-round draft pick finds out he's not a first-round draft pick, and we're trying to get ready to play a playoff game," Saban said. "I think it would be better not to submit that information to a player until he is finished competing in college."
So, which players was Saban referring to? He didn't specify, but it's not difficult to narrow down the list. Running back T.J. Yeldon, safety Landon Collins and wide receiver Amari Cooper were the Crimson Tide's early draft entries, leaving three others who applied for feedback but returned to school. Two of those were defensive lineman Jarran Reed and linebacker Reggie Ragland.
Feedback is sent to the schools rather than directly to the players, and it's not uncommon for coaches to withhold the feedback -- sometimes even at the request of the player. Saban, however, said he doesn't believe in withholding the information.
"I think it's my obligation as a coach to inform that young man when I get that information, because it's his information, it's not my information, to make him aware of that," Saban said.
One factor that could weigh in any consideration of adopting Saban's suggestion is the Jan. 15 deadline for underclassmen to declare draft intentions. Many of the top players in the nation compete in bowl games that are held on Jan. 1 or later. The national title game is held less than a week prior to the deadline, and withholding the feedback would give players less time to make their decisions.
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