Sports

Nick Saban May Have Accidentally Tanked Former Alabama Lineman Kadyn Proctor’s NFL Draft Stock

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Kadyn Proctor Alabama

© Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn


Seemingly, anytime you hear a former Alabama football player speak about their time under legendary head coach Nick Saban, they do so in glowing fashion. However, former Crimson Tide offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor may not share those sentiments after Saban’s recent comments.

Proctor, a former five-star recruit out of Iowa, had an up-and-down true freshman season for the Tide before entering the transfer portal following Saban’s retirement.

Ultimately, he found his way back to Tuscaloosa and became one of the best left tackles in the country in recent years. Proctor announced his intent to enter the 2026 NFL Draft following his junior season and is expect to go anywhere from the middle to the back end of Thursday’s first round.

However, recent comments from Saban certainly won’t help his stock.

Nick Saban Shades Kadyn Proctor With Backhanded Compliment Ahead Of NFL Draft

Saban appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday and discussed a number of players, one of whom was Proctor. During his assessment of the first-round prospect, he initially began to praise Proctor before launching into an explanation that didn’t exactly shine a glowing light on the 6-foot-7, 352-pound behemoth.

“I think he’s gonna be a really good player in the NFL,” Saban began.

But then he continued, “The issue with him is–he’s not a bad person. He’ll do whatever you ask him to, once you get him in the building.

“But when he’s not in the building, he might get a little overweight, he might not come in in the best shape, and those are the things you have to manage with him. But I think they’re manageable.

“He’s not exactly a self-starter who will get in great shape and come to camp like you want him. But if you can get him to come to camp, (once) you got him there, you can get him ready to go. So, I don’t think that’s a huge negative for the guy.”

Yikes. That’s not exactly a glowing endorsement. And if I’m a team picking in the first round and looking for a tackle, it’s a major red flag.

I doubt Saban was trying to knock Proctor. But his comments certainly raise a number of questions about the player at the worst possible time.