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Saban: 'Mind-boggling' that people doubt Deshaun Watson

Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports

Five-time national champion head coach Nick Saban is buying quarterback Deshaun Watson's stock, and the Alabama mastermind suggested ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft that others do the same.

"It's really sort of mind-boggling to me that people are having concerns about his future," Saban said on ESPN's "SportsCenter," according to Grace Raynor of the Post and Courier.

Saban faced Watson twice during the quarterback's career at Clemson, and watched his vaunted defense get carved up both times. Their meetings took place in the 2016 and 2017 national championship games, in which Watson accounted for 825 passing yards, 116 rushing yards, and eight touchdowns.

Saban said moments later on NFL Network that Watson is the "most dominant player" his team faced over the last two years.

The two-time Heisman Trophy finalist's draft stock has fluctuated in recent weeks. Watson said it'll be "a slap in the face" if he's selected behind North Carolina's Mitchell Trubisky on Thursday night.

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