Recent buzz has indicated that USC quarterback Sam Darnold is “a lock” to be taken first overall in the upcoming NFL Draft. Still, it’s somewhat surprising to hear Jim Mora — who coached fellow top QB prospect Josh Rosen at UCLA — hype his former rival over Rosen.
But that’s exactly what happened. Appearing on NFL Network on Monday, the former Bruins coach said said he’d take Darnold over Rosen.
Jim Mora: “I’d take Sam Darnold if I was the @Browns.”
📺: Path to the Draft https://t.co/fkKoDkXQ9p
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 26, 2018
Then he appeared to shade Rosen while explaining why Darnold is the pick at No. 1.
A few moments ago on @nflnetwork, Jim Mora said that he'd take Sam Darnold over Josh Rosen if he had the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft. Here's Mora's reasoning: pic.twitter.com/4fXzILYnyw
— Matt Joye (@mattjoye) March 26, 2018
So, Mora is not saying outright that Rosen doesn’t possess these traits, he is saying that Darnold has them in a bigger way. That’s pretty clear.
This may not be quite on par with Brian Kelly saying that he felt DeShone Kizer should have remained at Notre Dame. But it’s far from a ringing endorsement for a former player. Certainly, it’s far from the norm when it comes to college coaches talking about former players.
Then again, if these comments keep the Browns from selecting Rosen, then he may owe his old coach a solid favor.