The New England Patriots must think they’ve selected their future starter at left guard: Chattanooga’s Cole Strange.
And, in some ways, that makes tons of sense. Strange is a great fit for New England, with tons of playing experience after spending six (SIX!?!) years at Chattanooga where he was a five-year starter. (FIVE YEARS!?) He was terrific at the Senior Bowl. He’s just the type of tone-setting player the Patriots like to pick.
But they picked the guy at 29th overall. That’s what didn’t make sense about this pick. And that’s why this pick gets a harsh grade.
I’m giving the selection a D.
Why?
Coach and general manager Bill Belichick decided not to read the room.
“He wouldn’t have lasted much longer,” Belichick said after Round 1 when asked if he thought he could get Strange after trading back again.
The Los Angeles Rams brass, however, clearly expected Strange to last into the third round. New England has five picks in the top four rounds and 11 picks in the draft. They didn’t have to take Strange at 29. They could have taken someone else and probably landed the guard at 54th, their second-rounder. If they were worried about losing out on Strange, maybe the Patriots could have moved up in the second round to secure him.
But in the first round? That’s clearly a reach. Everyone can see it — except perhaps Belichick.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about Strange, who played mostly at left guard in 2021. That’s where he’ll plug and play in 2022 for New England. New England’s offensive line will be left tackle Isaiah Wynn, Strange, center David Andrews, right guard Michael Onwenu and right tackle Trent Brown. But past 2022, it’s fair to wonder whether the Patriots might experiment with Strange, who played center at the Senior Bowl (and even left tackle at Chattanooga).
It’s possible — and maybe even likely — the Patriots will find success with Strange at the center of their offensive line for years to come. It will just be easy to wonder whether they’ll feel like they missed out on some of the other prospects they chose not to take (including those between 21st and 29th, who the Patriots passed on by trading back). New England’s draft choice might prove a head-scratcher, even if Strange has a solid career.
