Alabama coach Nick Saban believes it'd be "a huge mistake" to pass on quarterback AJ McCarron in the 2014 NFL draft. While he isn't projected to be a top pick in the draft, McCarron is confident his play will find him a spot on an NFL team.
"I think anybody that doesn't take AJ in one of those earlier rounds is going to make a huge mistake because I think he's going to be a very, very good player," Saban told ESPN earlier in the week, via USA Today Sports. "First of all, he has all the athletic talent to make all the throws that he needs to make at the next level.
"Guys who can make quick decisions, process the information and throw the ball accurately are the guys that usually end up being pretty good NFL quarterbacks."
No big-name analysts project McCarron to be a first-round pick; most seem to consider him a later-round pick. Although Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater and Blake Bortles are widely considered to be the top three signal callers in the 2014 draft, McCarron disagrees.
"The rest of those guys feel like they're the best," McCarron said Wednesday, via ESPN. "It's a mind-set you have to carry in yourself. I feel like my play speaks for itself over the three years I started in the SEC. I definitely do."
While McCarron has a reputation as a "game-manager," the 23-year-old also has two BCS National Championship titles under his belt as a starting quarterback. McCarron finished the 2013 season at Alabama with 3,063 passing yards for 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
