2010 NFL Draft Results: Reflecting on the Cleveland Browns' Day Two Picks

Now that the instant reaction has been made, it's time to look back on Day Two of the NFL Draft and try to get a little more perspective on how the Browns did.

The Browns made three picks on Day Two, two in the second round and two in the third round.

T.J. Ward, a safety out of Oregon, was the Browns first pick, a move that left many people stunned. The pick seemed to be a bit of a reach, especially considering Sergio Kindle and Taylor Mays still were on the board.

A lot of people thought Colt McCoy was going to be the pick, but Team President Mike Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert weren't lying when they said they were going to wait until later in the draft to take a quarterback.

So, the Browns were looking for a safety, and that's what you have to go with.

Ward had been projected to go anywhere from late third round to the fifth round, depending on which draft board you were looking at.

For him to be taken early in the second was a bit of a head-scratcher.

However, when you look at how this year's draft was unfolding, just about every team seemed to be reaching for somebody at some point, and the Browns had to have that in the back of their mind.

Also, with 20/20 hindsight, it's obvious by Taylor Mays' meltdown on Pete Carroll later in the evening that the Browns had a red flag on him. Don't lose any sleep over that one.

The Eagles had just taken Nate Allen, and with Mays most likely not a consideration, Ward became the best option at the safety position.

Is it still a reach?

Yes.

Is it something to get really upset about?

In hindsight, no.

Then there is the Montario Hardesty pick, which I melted down about on here. After sleeping on this one, I'm going to soften my stance as well, except to repeat the Browns panicked and traded too much to move up.

Heckert pretty much admitted that's exactly what happened, because of the way the draft was unfolding. They became concerned Hardesty was not going to be on the board for very much longer.

Doesn't change my feeling two fifth-round picks was a bit much, but that's my opinion. Hardesty has had some injury problems, but the team's trainers are confident they won't be an issue, and Hardesty has played through injuries in the past.

Then there is Colt McCoy.

It was good fortune, not genius, that brought McCoy to Cleveland.

Give credit to Holmgren for sticking to his plan to not draft a quarterback early, but it was nothing but dumb luck and fate that kept McCoy on the board until the 85th pick.

Holmgren should be credited for telling Heckert and Head Coach Eric Mangini it was time to pull the trigger on McCoy, but that's it.

Still, getting McCoy is a solid move, and an absolute steal with the 85th pick. McCoy won 45 games at Texas in a non-gimmick offense and has a completion rate of 70.6 percent.

Those are the kinds of numbers that translate well to the pros, and beginning in a year or so, McCoy is going to show every other team in the league why they made a huge mistake passing on him.

Finally we have Shawn Lauvao, offensive guard out of Arizona.

This was as solid a third-round pick as the Browns could've made. Lauvao is going to compete for a starting job in camp, and he should end up being an impact player on the line.

He's 6'3", 305 pounds, and is known for his physical abilities on the field.

"One of the things you like about watching an offensive lineman or something that always jumps off the screen to me is guys that clean the pocket,” said Mangini about Lauvao after the pick was made.

Round Two Grade: B-

Round Three Grade: A+

Overall Draft Grade So Far: B+