Nick Saban is the coach of one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. During his time with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Saban has coached loads of talented players who went on to be selected high in the NFL Draft. He is considered to be one of the greatest minds in all of football.

This success at the collegiate level leads many to forget the time he spent in the NFL. He spent six seasons in the NFL, four with the Cleveland Browns and two with the Miami Dolphins. This has let him experience the draft from both perspectives. In a recent interview, he talked about what he learned about the NFL Draft while working in the league:

The discussion of the “and” and “but” is a somewhat common one, though rephrased by Saban. What he is getting at is that the character of a player matters to the team drafting him. It is a constant circle in draft conversations. A top prospect in terms of physical talent or football intelligence has a lot of red flags, so where do teams draft them? Saban's example is a bit oversimplified, but it is one seen throughout the history of the NFL Draft.

Where this is mostly going to come up this season is with quarterbacks. Many pundits discussing the draft rant and rave about the character of Alabama quarterback Mac Jones. This is despite his DUI in the past. However, the character of Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields remains in question. There are obvious racial undertones here, but it speaks to what Saban was talking about nonetheless. The intel surrounding a player really matters.