NFL.com writer Chase Goodbread continued his 16 for '16 series that features the top 16 players, coaches or anything else you can think of going into the 2016 football season. His most recent list includes the top 16 coaches at developing talent.
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The first on his list? None other than Alabama's Nick Saban. Goodbread points out all the draft facts that back up his pick and it's hard to argue with him.
"Saban's combination of recruiting skills, NFL experience and a pro-style offense make him predictably hard to beat on draft day. He's placed at least one first-round pick in the draft for eight consecutive years, and produced multiple first-rounders over five straight drafts from 2010-2014. He's had 39 draft picks over the last five years, the most of any coach listed here. As for an example of his ability to develop talent, he switched former walk-on Rashad Johnson from running back to safety when he arrived at Alabama in 2007, and Johnson is entering his eighth NFL season as a defensive back.
The only other SEC coach who made the list was LSU's Les Miles at No. 8, but it seems there's one particular area of development that is keeping Miles from achieving a higher ranking.
LSU has been hit especially hard in recent years by early entry losses to the NFL draft, so it follows that the Tigers have produced more than their share of draft choices. They've also populated the first round like few others; Miles has developed 13 first-round picks in his tenure, most recently Odell Beckham, Jr. In back-to-back drafts in 2013-2014, LSU generated 18 selections (nine each draft). Developing quarterbacks, however, hasn't been LSU's strong suit under Miles. His best college quarterback was JaMarcus Russell, who earned the "bust" label as a No. 1 overall pick. And for all of Miles' strong recruiting classes, quarterback play at LSU has largely been inconsistent.
The full list includes some names you'd expect like Jimbo Fisher, Urban Meyer, Mark Richt and others. That list can be viewed in its entirety here.
[h/t Saturday Down South]
