The man who once said he wasn’t going to be the Alabama coach perhaps wished for a little while last night that he wasn’t the Alabama coach.
Nick Saban, who attended the draft at the invitation of the league, waited multiple hours as only one of his former players was picked. As one source who was present in the green room told PFT, Saban looked “unhappy” with the situation.
In his defense, Saban pretty much always looks “unhappy,” with his excellence coming in large part from the extent to which so he’s driven to achieve it that he rarely (if ever) enjoys it. (There’s a compliment in there somewhere.)
Excellence wasn’t achieved on Thursday night, with as many as five Alabama players expected to go in round one but ultimately only one making the cut. The one who was picked, center Ryan Kelly, didn’t attend the draft. Three players (linebacker Reggie Ragland, defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson, and defensive lineman Jarran Reed) sat through all 31 picks.
While it means nothing to Alabama’s on-field performance, it’s easier to recruit when the pipeline to the NFL is clear and full. This year, it’s not -- and Saban got the privilege of witnessing it last night.