Browns select quarterback of the future (again)

It tells you something about how important the quarterback position is in the NFL that one of the Browns' third-round picks, Texas QB Colt McCoy, gets more attention than their second-round picks, Oregon safety T.J. Ward and Tennessee running back Montario Hardesty. It's kind of surprising that McCoy would fall to the 85th overall pick, given that he's the winningest quarterback in NCAA history and completed 70% of his passes in his collegiate career. And we Ohioans all remember how he led the Longhorns to a 24-21 victory in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl over Ohio State, throwing the winning touchdown pass with 16 seconds left.

How this guy was still available that late, I'll never know. Maybe it's because he's listed at 6'2", and coaches like quarterbacks who are tall enough to play power forward in the NBA (and yes, I'm exaggerating to make a point). That's why NFL coaches wouldn't take a chance on 5'10" Doug Flutie, who became the greatest player in Canadian Football League history before returning to the States for a pretty successful last hurrah. It's a stupid reason not to pick a quarterback. Sure, a couple of inches more in height might help a little, but I don't see that holding him back. I think this guy's going to be a star, and while he'll be behind Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace for a while, I look forward to the day he takes over the Browns' offense. ... And I'm not going to say a word about other quarterbacks of the future the Browns have drafted since becoming an expansion team. That was then, and this is not then.

Ward and Hardesty are both very talented players with significant injury histories, which allowed the Browns to get them a bit later than they otherwise might have been able to. Ward has missed time with injuries every year since his senior year in high school, with the lone exception of 2008. He missed five games last year with a right ankle sprain, but still racked up 68 tackles in eight games.

Hardesty has had three knee surgeries in his life, but was healthy all of 2009, and rushed for 1,345 yards and 12 touchdowns. He'll presumably be behind Chris Jennings on the depth chart, but he'll get a chance to prove himself.

The Browns also picked Arizona State offensive lineman Shawn Lauvao with the 92nd overall pick. It's not easy to evaluate offensive linemen statistically, but at the scouting combine, the dude did 33 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. I sure wouldn't want to piss him off.

These four draftees join Thursday night's first-round pick, Florida cornerback Joe Haden, taken with the seventh overall pick.