Sticking around

In early November, Albert Breer of NFL.com said during a radio interview that Southern California quarterback Sam Darnold might skip the NFL Draft if the Cleveland Browns had one of the top two picks.

Earlier this week, Darnold denied the rumor.

“I didn’t say anything about the Browns,” Darnold told reporters, according to ESPN. com. “I’ve never said anything bad about [an NFL] team. They know I would never say anything.”

It’s hard to imagine the Browns having anything other than one of the draft’s top two picks. They’re currently 0-11, the only winless team left in the NFL. Other than the San Francisco 49ers (1-10) and New York Giants (2-9), every other team in the league has at least three victories.

Barring an unforeseen winning streak, the Browns will likely have their pick of the top prospects in next year’s draft, with quarterback remaining a major need.

That doesn’t mean Darnold will be the target. In his latest mock draft, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller projected UCLA’s Josh Rosen as the first overall pick to Cleveland.

“Though he has shown signs of improvement, there is no way to feel confident DeShone Kizer is the future of the Browns,” Miller wrote. “With the No. 1 overall pick and a chance to grab an elite quarterback prospect, the Browns must think long-term and select Rosen.”

Miller projected Darnold, who has thrown for 3,462 yards and 24 touchdowns this season in leading the Trojans to the Pacific-12 Championship Game today against Stanford, would be chosen by the Giants with the third overall pick.