Josh Rosen managed to call out 4 other QBs in single answer during interview

Jack Baer
·Staff writer
·3 min read
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If you expected Josh Rosen to keep his mouth shut during an interview on NFL Network, then you just don’t know Josh Rosen. The UCLA quarterback appeared on “Up To The Minute” and had plenty to say when asked about being ranked among the NFL draft’s top quarterbacks.

In one of Yahoo Sports’ most recent mock drafts, Rosen was projected to be taken No. 3 overall by the New York Jets, behind No. 1 pick Josh Allen (Cleveland Browns) and No. 2 pick Sam Darnold (New York Giants). However, there have also been whispers that Rosen could slide on Thursday, possibly due to past statements or interviews.

Ask Rosen about stuff like that, and, well, you apparently get an answer like this:

Here’s a transcript if you didn’t catch that.

“I’ve always been the No. 2 guy. Coming out of high school, Ricky Town was the dude. He was going to SC, I was going to UCLA. He was No. 1 in the country, I was No. 2 and he was going to bring USC back to the promised land. After Ricky kinda faded away, Blake Barnett was the Elite 11 MVP. He was the dude that was going to go to ‘Bama, win a couple championships, call it quits and go to the league as the first overall pick. You don’t really hear about him too much. Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, these dudes that are these exotic, cool, flashy quarterbacks. That No. 1 pick, all this stuff and I’m No. 2. You know what, I’m going to sit here and in a couple years, when all is said and done, I’m confident that I’ll still be standing.”

Mercy. In case you’re wondering how those poor souls Rosen just called out are currently doing, Town was last seen transferring to Pitt last December after stints at USC, Arkansas and Ventura College. Barnett registered 40 passing yards total in two games last season, his first with Arizona State after transferring from Alabama when Jalen Hurts took hold of the starter’s spot.

However, it’s probably worth mentioning that Rosen might have been a little inaccurate with where he ranked among Town and Barnett as a recruit. In the Rivals rankings for the 2015 recruiting class, Rosen was ranked as the No. 1 pro-style quarterback and No. 2 player overall. Barnett came in as the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback behind Florida State’s Deondre Francois, while Town, supposedly ranked “No. 1 in the country,” was the No. 5 pro-style QB and No. 127 overall in the country.

NFL Draft prospect Josh Rosen rolls out during UCLA’s pro day. (AP Photo)
NFL Draft prospect Josh Rosen rolls out during UCLA’s pro day. (AP Photo)

That doesn’t mean Rosen was lying on air or being disingenuous. Sometimes top athletes just have to convince themselves they still have doubters in need of silencing, even if they’re ranked No. 1 in the country like Rosen was.

Suffice to say, neither Town nor Barnett exactly lived up to expectations at USC or Alabama, while Rosen still played himself into top-5 consideration at UCLA. As long as Rosen continues to perform to that potential, he’ll be saying just about anything he wants.

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