The Browns coveted former Tennessee safety Eric Berry with the No. 7 overall pick, but the Kansas City Chiefs beat them to the punch and picked him at No. 5. The Browns then drafted another favorite with the No. 7 pick -- cornerback Joe Haden -- and came back in the second round and selected Oregon safety T.J. Ward, who's off to a sensational start.
The Browns did not have a chance to draft safety Eric Berry after the Chiefs selected him in the first round of April's draft, but they are pleased so far with the play of second-round pick T.J. Ward, right, who is also a safety.The Browns coveted former Tennessee safety Eric Berry with the No. 7 overall pick, but the Kansas City Chiefs beat them to the punch and picked him at No. 5.
The Browns then drafted another favorite with the No. 7 pick -- cornerback Joe Haden -- and came back in the second round and selected Oregon safety T.J. Ward, who's off to a sensational start. Now, the Browns are grateful for the way it worked out, because they got the premier cornerback in the draft and a safety they feel stacks up with Berry.
"[General Manager] Tom [Heckert] and I really liked him," said coach Eric Mangini. "It was a lot of the things everybody's starting to see [him do] in pro football. The thing I really like is that even if he's unsure about where he's going, he's going there fast and when he gets there, someone's going to get hit. He's confident. He's bright and he likes to hit people, which I appreciate."
Against the Buccaneers last week, Ward led the Browns with 10 tackles, including one for a loss on Kellen Winslow. He also forced a fumble and pressured Josh Freeman into an interception.
"If you just turn on the game, you'd never know T.J. was a rookie," said Haden. "The way he plays, the way he carries himself, he knows what's going on. He's already so comfortable."
Berry also had a fine debut against the Chargers, finishing second with six tackles. However, he blew one coverage, leaving a receiver open for a 59-yard TD.
"Really, I put that on myself because I'm the safety," Berry told the Kansas City Star. "When things go bad or when things aren't going the right way, it falls on me because it's my job to get the communication out and my job to make sure my corner knows what's going on. I can tell you that it will never happen again."
Browns running back Jerome Harrison worked out with Berry in the off-season and was impressed. "I've never seen a young guy work so hard. I could talk to him about what's going to happen and it wasn't like he was too big-time to listen. He's a great young man."
During the NFL Scouting Combine, Berry proclaimed himself the best player in the draft, citing his versatility and 494 interception return yards, second in NCAA history. But Ward isn't fazed by such talk.
"I don't try to stack up against Eric Berry," he said. "I'll leave that to other people. But I definitely thought I was one of the best safeties in this draft."
The Browns aren't arguing.
"T.J. Ward really is a tough guy and what a special guy he's going to be for a long time," said defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.
The Chiefs feel the same way about Berry.
"He falls into that group of young guys that since day one on campus have really impressed us in a number of ways, not just in football ability," said Chiefs coach Todd Haley. "It's a good group of young men that want to be part of trying to help our team transition into becoming a good team."