Sam Darnold would be ‘honored’ to play for any NFL team, including Browns

If both Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen end up declaring for the NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns may have an easy choice to make with the No. 1 overall draft pick.

Compared to Rosen, who is more concerned about going to the right team rather than the one picking the highest, Darnold says it would be “special” to go No. 1 overall in the draft.

“Honestly, yeah, it would be awesome,” Darnold said of going No. 1, via Cleveland.com’s Doug Lesmerises. “But at the same time, I look at it holistically and I’m going to factor everything into it. But, yeah, to be the No. 1 pick, that would be so special.”

As for going to the Browns, a team some might want to avoid due to their seeming ineptitude as a franchise, Darnold says it would be an honor to play for them, or anyone else who takes him.

“Whenever I come out to go to the NFL, I’d be honored to play for any team. Any team that would give me that opportunity to be part of their organization, it would mean the world to me.”

There is no word yet on whether Darnold will choose to go pro after the season. He is a redshirt sophomore, which makes him eligible to leave USC after the season. But he hasn’t even had two full seasons of experience yet in college, meaning he could come back for a third. He would be competing with crosstown rival Rosen of UCLA as well as potentially Wyoming’s Josh Allen or Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield to be the first quarterback drafted. Cleveland has locked up the top pick, and their No. 1 priority is finding a quarterback.