Sam Darnold: Browns So Bad He'd Skip NFL Draft to Avoid?

Sam Darnold has denied rumors that the Cleveland Browns are so bad that he'd skip the 2018 NFL draft to avoid making the team's pick.

The sophomore quarterback has dismissed speculation that he would stay at the University Southern California for another season if the Browns ended up with the first pick.

"I didn't say anything about the Browns," he said, according to ESPN. "I've never said anything bad about (an NFL) team. They know I would never say anything."

However his denial has not done much to curb the rumors that were ignited earlier this month by MMQB's Albert Breer who said Darnold would base his final decision on entering the draft upon whether Browns had the No. 1 pick.

Per @AlbertBreer, Sam Darnold will want to wait and see who has the top pick or two in the NFL Draft. If it's Browns, he could stay at USC.

— Nick Camino (@NickCaminoWTAM) November 1, 2017

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper rated Darnold as the fifth-best overall prospect, ESPN noted, and many believe he would be a high first-round draft pick.

The Browns currently are the only winless team remaining in the NFL this season and will likely have top pick of next year's top prospects.

While many believe Darnold would be their preferred choice in quarterback, Bleacher Report NFL Draft expert Matt Miller projected that UCLA's Josh Rosen was the preferred overall pick.

"The Browns are a mess," Miller noted. "The only way they'll ever climb out of the NFL's basement is by nailing the quarterback position."

With the top overall pick and a chance to grab an elite quarterback prospect, Miller said "the Browns must think long-term and select Rosen."

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