Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images

The possibility of Sam Darnold returning to USC for another season picked up steam in early November after Albert Breer of NFL.com said during a radio interview that the quarterback might skip the NFL draft if the Cleveland Browns ended up with one of the top two picks.

On Monday, Darnold denied the rumor.

"I didn't say anything about the Browns," Darnold told reporters, per ESPN.com. "I've never said anything bad about (an NFL) team. They know I would never say anything."

It's certainly hard to imagine the Browns having anything other than one of the draft's top two picks. The team is currently 0-11, the only winless team remaining 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 wins.

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

That doesn't mean Darnold will be the target. In his latest mock draft, B/R's Matt Miller projected UCLA's Josh Rosen as the first overall pick to Cleveland, writing:

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

"The hard thing about predicting this pick in November is that there could be an entirely new regime running this team in April. If Sashi Brown and his analytics team are still in place, this pick could be traded to acquire more draft picks. If Hue Jackson is retained as head coach and is given more control over draft picks, he'll hand-pick his next quarterback, who could be Rosen.

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

Miller projected Darnold to the New York Giants with the third overall pick.

The redshirt sophomore has thrown for 3,462 yards, 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this season, completing 63.3 percent of his passes for the 10-2 Trojans. Last season, he established himself as one of the top players in college football, throwing for 3,086 yards, 31 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 67.2 percent of his throws.