NEW YORK — We watched 15 picks come and go in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft before hearing the name Jimmy Clausen.

Then, with the No. 48 pick the Panthers handed in their draft card with his name, ending Clausen’s wait. We had been speculating on Clausen’s fate since the mid-first round, so our wait is over, too. We didn’t see any teams trade up for Clausen, and we found out they didn’t have to.

Here’s instant analysis from Mike Mayock:

“Clausen can make all the NFL throws, and what I think hurt him are the intangibles,” Mayock offered. “In my opinion, and I can’t underscore this enough, I think he’s a top-10 player [in talent]. Down the road in a couple of years, we’re going to find out. I think he’s NFL-ready. He’s going to compete with Matt Moore immediately.”

Brian Billick also pointed out that there might not be a better spot for Clausen, as the Panthers have two elements in place — a solid offensive line and strong running game — that can benefit a rookie QB. The only other QB on the Panthers’ roster is second-year pro Hunter Cantwell.

NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora nailed it earlier Friday when he suggested that picks No. 48 (Panthers) or 49 (49ers) could be the floor for the QBs.

– Frank Tadych

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