Since the 49ers traded up to the third overall pick in the draft, a consensus has emerged that they plan to draft Alabama quarterback Mac Jones. But they haven’t tipped their hand to Alabama coach Nick Saban.
Saban said on the Dan Patrick Show today that the 49ers attended Alabama’s Pro Day but didn’t show an outsized interest in Jones.
“[Kyle Shanahan] didn’t ask me a thing. I stood right next to him. I said hi to him. John Lynch too. They didn’t ask me a thing. Maybe they thought they weren’t allowed to,” Saban said, via Andrew Perloff.
Saban has previously expressed surprise that teams don’t talk to him more before drafting Alabama players, saying that other than Bill Belichick, he rarely hears from an NFL coach or GM who wants to know more about the players Saban has coached. So the 49ers not talking to Saban about Jones isn’t necessarily unusual, as they continue to hold their cards close to the vest.