Nick Saban cautions injury-riddled Amarius Mims of tough challenge as Bengals' pick: "If he didn’t develop those habits, he better focus on them now”

The 2024 NFL draft has some crazy stories and with a new face in the draft coverage for ESPN, Nick Saban has got himself in the news with one of his comments. While discussing the Cincinnati Bengals drafting Amarius Mims with the 18th pick in the NFL draft, Saban had some scathing remarks for him.

"This guy's got all the tools - he's got great size, he's got great power. But it makes you wonder, how did the guy only start 8 [games?] Like, in the SEC championship game, he played only the first 15 plays of the game and then he's out," Saban said.

"Takes himself out. I don't know what he injured, what he hurt, whatever. But you've got to be a little more consistent in your performance if you're going to be a great player and a starter in the National Football League."

Saban continued to explain how bigger guys could have issues, especially coming out of smaller high schools.

"He was always better than everybody else. So do you really develop the traits that you need to compete against guys that are as good as you? He's gonna play against guys that are as good as him, now. So if he didn't develop those habits, he better focus on them now," he added.

As the coach who faced Mims in that game, Nick Saban may know what happened. Mims exited the SEC Championship Game after the second drive and did not return to compete in the Orange Bowl against the Florida State Seminoles.

What did Amarius Mims say about his injury?

While Nick Saban was critical of Amarius Mims' injury and brought some skepticism to it, Mims discussed it at the NFL Combine.

"It wasn't my proudest game, honestly. I went down, I want to say, play 12," Mims said. "I wish I could have finished the game with my guys. We fell up short, but like I said, if I could go back to that game, I wish I wouldn't have got bumped up on my ankle again.

"But, like I said, if we were 100 percent healthy, it would have been a different outcome in that game, honestly." [via Dawg Nation].

While we will likely never know the full extent of the injury, Mims did require surgery to fix the ailment. Is it just the Alabama vs. Georgia rivalry or is it more than that?