Nick Saban thinks NFL Draft grades hurt Alabama in CFB Playoff

Nick Saban feels that some of his players were distracted heading into their Sugar Bowl loss against Ohio State last season, and he wants the NFL to do something about it.

Saban said at SEC Media Days on Wednesday that he would like it if NFL Draft grades were released after the completion of the college football season. Why? He believes some of his players were concerned about getting hurt in the Sugar Bowl after the official evaluations were released.

“You’re talking about a young person who has to deal with a lot now,” Saban said, via Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com. “We had six guys in this situation last year and 11 the year before. So we’re trying to get ready for a game and then all of the sudden a guy finds out he’s a first-round draft pick or a guy that thought he was a first-round draft pick isn’t a first-round pick, and we’re trying to get ready to play a playoff game.

“I think that it would be better not to submit that information to a player until he was finished competing in college. We’ve moved the draft back. We have not moved the date that a player has to declare back.”

As Saban noted, some coaches like the format the way it is because it helps recruiting when they get more clarity regarding which players are declaring for the NFL Draft. However, he believes draft grades had a negative affect on Alabama’s team chemistry.

“Last year our team chemistry from the SEC Championship Game to the playoff game was affected by something,” Saban said.

While it makes sense on some level, many will view that as a lame excuse from Saban. I’m guessing Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes have no problem with the draft grade system as it currently stands.